Annabelle Daughter of Pinocchio reboot
by Lazbro64
Summary: Jiminy Cricket returns after 15 years to find Pinocchio all grown up has built a little puppet of his own. When Annabelle comes to life, she must learn about honesty, love, friendship, and what it means to be human in order to become a real girl, though all she really wants is to make her father proud.
1. Chapter On The Return of Jiminy Cricket

Prologue

Long ago in a little Italian village, an old wood-carver named Geppetto built a little puppet and named him Pinocchio. Geppetto made a wish on a star that night for his puppet to become a real boy and a Blue Fairy appeared and brought the wooden boy to life. The fairy instructed Pinocchio that to be real; he would have to learn to be brave, truthful, and unselfish. But Pinocchio didn't understand right from wrong, and that's when a wise cricket named Jiminy stepped in and offered to teach him, and so the fairy made him a Pinocchio's conscience.

After some life learning adventures ending in sacrificing his life to save Geppetto from a whale named Monstro, the Blue Fairy revived Pinocchio for his bravery and made him a real boy. Jiminy cricket was rewarded a shiny gold badge for all his hard work and became an official conscience. He said his goodbyes to Pinocchio and set out on a journey to teach other children the knowledge of right and wrong. Years later Jiminy would look up at the stars every night and remember Geppetto, the Blue Fairy, and the little wooden puppet that changed his life forever.

Chapter 1 - The Return of Jiminy Cricket.

Fifteen years had passed since Pinocchio became a real boy. Jiminy Cricket had been continuing to travel the world teaching many children the same lessons he once told his best friend. But after being gone for many years, the cricket decided it was time to return home. He boarded a ship and sailed back to Italy, where he was sure Pinocchio was still living with old Geppetto. It was a calm and quiet evening as Jiminy strooled into town. The old village looked just the same as it always did all those years ago as he reminisced. The same brick houses, cobblestone roads, and oil lampposts illuminated the streets. As he wandered along the crooked old streets, there wasn't a soul to be seen. At last, he spotted something up ahead that he recognized instantly. It was a familiar-looking building with a light shining in the window. He hopped closer and saw it was Geppetto's old workshop.

"There it is! Home sweet home," said Jiminy joyfully. "I can't wait to see how Pinoke's been doing since I left." he quickly hopped over to the door, looked up and saw a wooden sign hanging above the doorway that said Geppetto & Son. He squeezed under the door, entered the house, and to his surprise, everything looked different from what he remembered. There were new shelves, furniture, and all the wooden clocks, toys, and music boxes Geppetto made were gone. Even the old bed in the corner was missing.

"Gosh! Pinocchio and Geppetto must have redecorated this place since I've been away!" Seeing that no one was about, he made himself at home and walked around the house observing the changes. The entire workshop was now a cozy living area with a big green sofa, a new fireplace, and there was a kitchen with a large wooden table and an old iron cooking stove. As he continued to explore, Jiminy soon felt like he was being watched. He slowly turned his head around and gasped as he saw a kitten towering over him. The little cat had unusual pink fur, blue eyes, a white face, belly, and paws, and a red ribbon on its head.

"YIKES! A CAT!" Jiminy shouted and started to run as the kitten chased him after him. He hopped from side to side trying to escape but the pink cat continued to pursue him. Soon Jiminy sound himself backed into a corner. He trembled with fear and held up his umbrella to defend himself expecting the cat to pounce on him. But instead, the kitten stood still and stared curiously at him.

"Please don't hurt me! I used to live here!" Jiminy begged. "I'd taste better for the fishes, not a feline such as you!" The kitten turned her head sideways, meowed, and moved closer to him. Jiminy wasn't sure if the kitten was friendly or wanted to eat him. To his surprise, the cat smiled and meowed happily.

"I guess you are friendly after all," he said with relief. "You know, you look like a kitten I used to know but not personally." Suddenly, Jiminy heard footsteps coming into the room.

"Figgy! What's all that noise out here? Are you chasing mice again?" Jiminy and the kitten looked up and saw a tall, thin man with dark hair, wearing a white long-sleeved shirt with a blue bow tie. He also wore long blue trousers held up by spenders over his shoulders, brown shoes, and on his head was a familiar yellow hat with a blue stripe and a red feather.

"P-Pinocchio?" said Jiminy looking up at his old friend who was now a grown man.

"That voice! Jiminy?!" said the young man looking down at the little cricket. "Jiminy Cricket is that you?"

"It's me Pinoke! Long-time no see!" Pinocchio knelt, held out his hand, and Jiminy jumped into his palm.

"Jiminy! Welcome home, my old friend!" He said delightedly.

"Gosh Pinoke, you've sprouted up! I almost didn't recognize you!"

"It's been fifteen years since I became a real boy Jiminy. I'm a grown man now."

"You look very handsome Pinocchio, Geppetto must have done a great job raising you. Say, where is the old fellow?" Pinocchio frowned sadly hearing that question.

"I'm afraid my father isn't here anymore Jiminy," he said regrettably. Jiminy felt deep sadness when Pinocchio told him Geppetto was gone.

"Oh no! I'm sorry to hear that. When did he pass away?"

"He died over a year ago. The last thing father said to me was how proud he was, and how much he loved me." Jiminy felt sad hearing of Geppetto's passing. Even though Pinocchio was now an adult, he knew it must have been hard for him to watch his father die.

"What about Figaro and Cleo? Are they still here?"

"Cleo's gone too. But old Figaro's still around somewhere. In fact, this little pink rascal Figgy here is one of his kittens." Jiminy looked down at the pink cat slowly circling Pinocchio's left leg, rubbing herself against it and meowing wanting his attention.

"Yes. When I came in, she surprised me and chased me around the room. I thought she was going to eat me."

"Oh, don't worry Jiminy, Figgy won't hurt you. She just wants to play." The kitten stood on her hind legs, meowed and flicked her right paw wanting him to hold her. Jiminy hopped onto Pinocchio's shoulder as he reached down and picked up the kitten.

"It's so good to have you back Jiminy. Our home is your home. Would you like some tea?" Pinocchio offered.

"Sure, why not? It would be the first time I would have ever tried tea from you," Pinocchio walked into the kitchen, poured a dish of milk for little Figgy, and began brewing some tea for himself and the cricket.

"I see you and Geppetto remodeled this place since I've been away," Jiminy said, looking around the kitchen.

"That's right. Father and I sold all his old clocks and toys so that we could afford to refurbish the house and make it more suitable for us. There are two bedrooms upstairs, and we built an extension in the back where father moved his workshop so we could continue his wood carving business."

"That's good to hear, Pinoke. Are you a woodcarver like your old man was?"

"I sure am. Father taught me everything he knew from how to build clockworks to making furniture, toys and even puppets. The children call me Pinocchio the Toymaker because they love the wonderful toys I make." The tea was ready as the kettle on the stove began to whistle. Pinocchio handed Jiminy a tiny cup that was just his size, poured himself a cup and sat down to continue the conversation. "So where have you been all these years Jiminy?"

"Well, after you had become a real boy, the fairy gave me this badge and made me an Official Conscience as you know," Jiminy opened his jacket and showed Pinocchio his precious golden badge. "So I've been traveling around the world teaching other children the ways of right and wrong and guiding them on the straight and narrow."

"That sounds exciting Jiminy! What kind of places did you go to?"

"Well, I've been to Germany, England, and even France. I met lots of strange and unusual people and creatures. But in all my travels I always thought of you and how much you changed my life. Now I've decided I'm done traveling and have come home for good."

"Sounds like you had quite a lot of adventures. I missed you a lot after you left. But I'm glad to have you back my friend," Pinocchio smiled. Just then he felt Figgy's paw scratching at his leg and looked down at her.

"What is it Figgy?" The little cat jumped around and meowed a few times. "Oh yes, I nearly forgot!" Pinocchio then turned to Jiminy looking excited. "There's something I'd like to show you in the workshop, Jiminy. Would you like to see it?"

"Sure, Pinoke, what is it?"

"I think you'll be pretty surprised when you see it," Pinocchio smiled and winked his left eye. Jiminy rode on Pinocchio's shoulder as he walked into a back room and turned on an oil lamp hanging on the wall near the doorway. The room was a big workshop filled with wooden clocks, toys, music boxes and a workbench in the corner.

"Wow, Pinoke! Did you make all these?" Jiminy asked, admiring the many different designs of the clocks and music boxes. Some of them resembled the ones Geppetto used to make.

"Yep. These are all mine," Pinocchio answered proudly.

"Impressive! You're just as good as Geppetto was! So where's this thing you wanted to show me?"

"It's over here. I've been working on it for a long time and now it's finally finished," Pinocchio pointed to a white sheet covering something on the workbench. Jiminy hopped down, and Pinocchio slowly removed the sheet revealing what was underneath. "Behold! My Masterpiece!"

The cricket's eyes grew wide with astonishment. It was a wooden marionette girl with light brown hair shaped into a long ponytail, glassy blue eyes, two red circles on its cheeks, a painted in smile and a big pointy nose that was like Pinocchio's back when he was a puppet. she wore a lovely blue dress with puffy sleeves and a white pinafore attached to it, a blue hat with a red stripe around it, white-gloved hands and on her feet were big yellow clogs. Strings were attached to her arms, legs, back and head dangling from two crossbars hanging on a shelf above her.

"Well, I'll be!" said Jiminy staring at the wooden girl. "She looks fantastic! She looks similar to you when you were a puppet! The craftsmanship is a work of art!"

"Thanks, Jiminy! I found some old blueprints that my father used when he made me, and I used them to build her in my image. What do you think of her?" The cricket looked her over and was impressed with how realistic she looked.

"She sure is cute," Jiminy chuckled. He hopped onto the nose and knocked on the face with his fist. "She's made of fine wood too. The same kind your father used to build you. So what's her name?"

"Her name is Annabelle. I named her after my old school teacher, Miss Annabelle from when I was a boy. She was an excellent teacher and taught me many things."

"Annabelle huh? What a lovely name, though, wouldn't it sound more Italian if you called her Annabella?"

"I guess. But I think Annabelle is a prettier name, don't you think so?"

"She's your puppet Pinoke, and you can call her whatever you want."

"Would you like to see her perform? I've gotten pretty good at puppeteering."

"I'd be delighted. Show me what you got!"

Jiminy hopped down and sat on the edge of the workbench. Pinocchio picked up Annabelle and laid her on the wooden floor with Figgy. He walked over and turned on a little music box that started playing a lovely melody. Pinocchio picked up Annabelle's crossbars and began to make her dance around the room to the rhythm of the music. Her clogs and wooden body clomped and clattered whenever Pinocchio moved her around. Figgy followed the puppet as she danced hopping up and down and stood on her hind legs trying to mimic her dance moves while Pinocchio whistled cheerfully. Watching this reminded Jiminy of when he first entered the house all those years ago and watched Geppetto make Pinocchio dance around the workshop before he was brought to life. When the music stopped Pinocchio made Annabelle stop dancing, and she finished with a bow and curtsy.

"Bravo!" Jiminy cheered clapping his hands in applause. "Your father would be so proud!" Little Figgy meowed at Annabelle and Pinocchio pulled the strings making her gently pet her. The kitten seemed very fond of the wooden girl.

"So, what do you think of her, Jiminy?" He asked, picking Annabelle up and holding her in his arms.

"She's terrific! She looks cute, and her dancing was very graceful. Though, I think those heavy clogs weigh her down a little bit. But overall she's very well made Pinoke." Pinocchio put Annabelle back on the workbench and looked at his creation with admiration.

"I'd love it if she were a real little girl," he said, imagining Annabelle as a real person. "She would make a beautiful daughter."

"Well, you never know Pinoke. If the Blue Fairy granted Geppetto's wish and brought you to life, maybe if you wish hard enough, then the same thing could happen to Annabelle too." Just then they heard several of the wooden clocks Pinocchio made go off alerting them that the time was a quarter to ten.

"Goodness! I didn't realize it was getting so late!" said Pinocchio feeling somewhat exhausted. Geppetto always made sure he went to bed at the appropriate time back when he was a child, and it had stuck with him ever since.

"Me too," Jiminy agreed, stretching his arms and yawned a bit.

"You're welcome to sleep in my room if you wish."

"I'll be alright, thanks, Pinoke. I think I'll stay here in the workshop for a while. You know, just in case your little wooden princess here comes to life here in the middle of the night or something." Jiminy smiled and gave Pinocchio a wink.

"Alright then," He then picked up Figgy and turned off the lamp. "Well, Good night and welcome home Jiminy."

"Good night Pinoke. It's great to be back." The two friends smiled as Pinocchio walked out of the room. It felt like history was repeating itself as Jiminy thought about how familiar this evening turned out to be. And they both thought about Annabelle wondering if she could come to life too.

End of Chapter-1 


	2. Chapter 2 Pinocchio's Daughter

Chapter 2 - Pinocchio's daughter

After saying Goodnight to Jiminy, Pinocchio went upstairs to get ready for bed. Geppetto had built two bedrooms on the second floor for Pinocchio and himself before he passed away. Pinocchio inherited everything his father owned, including the house. He had been very lonely living on his own with old Figaro and the little kitten, but now that Jiminy Cricket was back Pinocchio felt happier. He moved into his father's room sometime after the funeral. Figgy liked sleeping with him like her dad used to sleep with Geppetto. After putting on his sleeping clothes, Pinocchio noticed the room felt a bit warm.

"Phew, it's a bit stuffy in here, Figgy. Maybe I should open the window," He walked over, opened the window and looked outside. The town was quiet, and the sky was clear. Just then Pinocchio saw something that caught his eye. "Oh, Look, Figgy! It's the wishing star!" The little cat jumped onto the ledge and looked to where he was pointing. "That's the star my father wished on. Maybe if I make a wish, the Blue Fairy will hear it and bring Annabelle to life." The kitten looked at him like she didn't believe such a thing could happen. But Pinocchio's mind was set. He knelt down, put his hands together and closed his eyes.

"Blue Fairy. If you can hear me, then thank you for granting my father's wish and making me a real boy. Now I'd like to make a request. I wish my little Annabelle was alive so that she can be a real girl. I want to prove to my father if he is watching me that I can be a great dad too. Just like he was for me." After making his wish, Pinocchio went to bed with Figgy curled up beside him. It wasn't long before both of them were fast asleep. Sometime after they had both drifted off, a bright blue light appeared in the sky and began to descend slowly. It flew in through the open window and took the form of a beautiful lady with blonde hair, wearing a long blue gown with large transparent wings. It was the Blue Fairy. She watched him sleeping which reminded her of when she visited Geppetto all those years ago.

"My dear sweet Pinocchio," she whispered so that she didn't disturb him. "For many years, I've watched you grow and mature into the man you are today. I see Geppetto has done a wonderful job of raising you. And as a reward for your good deeds, I shall grant your wish." Downstairs in the Workshop, Jiminy was still awake sitting in front of Annabelle admiring the incredible craftsmanship.

"Pinoke's done such an excellent job," he said to himself smiling. "Geppetto may no longer be with us, but his spirit lives on in that boy. Or man I should say. This puppet is proof of that. I wonder if the Blue Fairy will visit us," No sooner had he said this, the room became illuminated. He turned around and saw the Blue Fairy standing over him. He removed his hat and bowed gracefully showing his respect to the fairy. "Good to see you again, Milady. I was just thinking about you."

"I'm glad to see you've returned Sir Jiminy. and I'm very pleased with how you've been traveling and teaching others as you did with Pinocchio." She leaned down closer and smiled at him. The little cricket started to blush as she stared at him.

"You're the one who gave me this job, so I embraced it. Being a conscience has made me so much wiser than I was when we first met. I've helped a lot of people in my travels and Pinocchio has turned into a handsome young man. I can't thank you enough for all you've done for both of us."

"You're very welcome. And if you're up to the task, I have a request for you."

"You want me to be this girl's conscience, right?" Jiminy said looking back at Annabelle.

"Yes. Pinocchio wished for me to bring her to life and she'll need a conscience to help guide her on the straight and narrow. Can I count on you to be her guide?"

"You can count on me, milady! It will be just like old times." The fairy examined the puppet girl and was amazed by how much she resembled Pinocchio. She could tell he had put a lot of love and hard work into constructing her. She raised her wand and spoke her magic words.

"Little girl made of pine... the gift of life is thine." She tapped the puppet's head with her wand and a bright blue light filled the room. Jiminy shielded his eyes from the brightness. When the light faded, The puppet's strings disappeared, and she started to move. She blinked her eyes a few times, then raised her arms and rubbed them as her vision began to develop. As Jiminy watched Annabelle come to life, it reminded him of when the Fairy made Pinocchio alive when he was a puppet. When her vision was clear, Annabelle looked curiously around the room and saw the Blue Fairy watching her.

"Oh! Hello," she spoke in the sweetest sounding voice. "Who are you?"

"Hello, little Annabelle," the fairy replied happily with a smile. "I am the Blue Fairy, and I have given you life."

"Life? Why?"

"Because your father Pinocchio wished for you to be alive so that you can be a real girl."

"Real girl? Am I a real girl, Miss fairy?"

"No, Annabelle, not yet. You are still a wooden puppet. To become a real girl, you must learn right from wrong like your father once did when I brought him to life. You must also prove yourself brave, truthful, and unselfish as he did. Do you understand?" Having just come to life Annabelle was like a newborn child, so everything was new and confusing to her.

"So, I'm a wooden puppet and not a real girl. And to be a real girl I have to learn right from wrong and be brave, truthful and unselfish?" she asked starting to understand.

"Yes, my dear." the Fairy replied.

"But how do I that?"

"I'll take it from here," said Jiminy jumping onto the girl's left clog. "Hello there Annabelle! Cricket's the name. Jiminy Cricket. I'm an officially certified conscience."

"Conscience? What's a conscience?" she asked, staring curiously at the little cricket.

"A conscience is what tells you what's right and what's wrong. I taught your father how to be a real boy when he was a puppet like you. Now I'm going to instruct you the knowledge of right and wrong so you can be real too."

"Ok Mister Jiminy," Annabelle smiled with delight. Seeing that Annabelle was in good hands, the fairy decided it was time for her to leave.

"I'll leave her in your capable hands Sir Jiminy," said the fairy. "Now remember Annabelle to listen to your father and Jiminy. Be kind and truthful and someday you'll be a real girl. Goodbye, and good luck."

"Ok, Bye-bye Miss Fairy!" Annabelle smiled and waved her hand.

"Goodbye milady!" Jiminy waved as well. The fairy slowly faded away, and the room became dark again but was just light enough for the girl and the cricket to see each other. Once the Fairy was gone, Jiminy began instructing his new pupil. "Alright kiddo, let's get started. The first thing you need to know is that the world is full of many temptations."

"What are temptations, Mister Jiminy?" Annabelle asked.

"Temptations are the wrong things that may seem right, but they're not. They can lead you astray and have devastating consequences. So you need to be careful not to give in to temptations, or bad things will happen to you. I know this because your father gave in to temptations and got into all kinds of trouble. Do you understand?" Having just come to life he could tell she didn't know what he meant.

"I'm not sure I do Mister Jiminy," she shook her head. "But I'll try and do my best not to give in to these bad temptations and do right!"

"Good girl, Annabelle! I'll be here to help you stay on the right path," Jiminy knew it was going to be challenging to instruct Annabelle right from wrong as she was a puppet that had just been born. But with his guidance, he was confident she'd do fine. "Now, whenever you're in trouble and need help, all you have to do is call me and I'll be here to help you make the right decisions Ok?"

"Okay, Mister Jiminy!"

"Oh, and you don't have to call me Mister. Feel free just to call me Jiminy."

"Okay, Jiminy," She giggled.

"Great! Now then, what do you say we wake up your dad and tell him you're alive?"

"Dad? What's a dad?"

"A Dad is a father or parent that takes care of a child. Pinocchio built you, so that makes him your dad."

"Oh! Okay! I can't wait to meet him," Annabelle tried to stand up, but found it rather difficult having never walked or stood up yet without her strings. She started wobbling unable to find her balance and began stumbling towards the edge of the table. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! I can't stop! Help!" she screamed as she fell and landed in a box of empty paint cans causing a loud noise that echoed through the house. Pinocchio was awoken by the loud sound and came running downstairs followed by Figgy.

"Jiminy! Jiminy!" Pinocchio cried, running into the workshop. He turned on the light and saw the cricket standing on the table unharmed. "What was that crash? Are you alright?"

"I'm alright Pinoke. But you should be more worried about her!" Jiminy pointed. Pinocchio looked down and saw Annabelle on the floor.

"Annabelle! How did you get down..." He then noticed that she was moving by herself and her strings were missing. "She's alive?!" He rubbed his eyes thinking it might be his imagination. But when he looked again Annabelle noticed him.

"Hello," she said, looking up at her father.

"Hurray! She's alive! My wish came true!" Pinocchio cheered with joy hearing her speak. He knelt down and picked her up. "Hello, my little wooden princess!"

"Who are you, Mister?"

"My name is Pinocchio. I'm the one who made you, so that makes me your daddy," He explained to her.

"You're my daddy?" Annabelle wondered if this man was the person Jiminy had told her about.

"Yes, dear. I am your daddy, and you are my daughter." After a few seconds, Annabelle finally realized who he was and gave him a big smile. Pinocchio smiled back and hugged his new daughter tightly.

"Did the fairy do this Jiminy?"

"She sure did Pinoke. She also asked me to be her official conscience."

"Jiminy said he's going to teach me right from wrong so I can be a real girl daddy!" said Annabelle cheerfully.

"That's wonderful, Princess," Pinocchio replied. "Jiminy was my conscience when I was a little puppet like you. With his guidance, I'm sure you'll do just fine." Annabelle looked down at the floor and saw Figgy jumping up and down and meowing loudly.

"Oooh! What's that thing daddy?" she asked, pointing at the kitten.

"That's Figgy, Annabelle. She's a kitty cat. Would you like to play with her?"

"Yes, yes!" Annabelle clapped her hands with excitement. Pinocchio sat her down on the floor, and the kitten jumped into her lap. She was curious as to how Annabelle was now alive.

"Hello Figgy, I'm Annabelle. I'm pleased to meet you," she said gently patting Figgy's head.

"It's nice to meet you too Annabelle. I'm so happy that your alive." the little cat suddenly spoke to her.

"Oh! You can talk?" Annabelle said in surprise.

"She can't talk Annabelle. She's an animal," Pinocchio replied. "Animals can't talk like we can."

"Huh? But I just heard her talk to me!" Annabelle insisted.

"Wait! You mean you understood what I said?" Figgy asked, surprised that Annabelle heard her speak.

"Hmm... Are you sure you heard her speak, Annabelle?" Jiminy asked, staring at her face, excepting her nose to grow like Pinocchio's did when he was a puppet.

"Uh-huh," Annabelle nodded.

"Well, her nose isn't growing so she must be telling the truth. I guess the fairy made her able to understand animals, Pinoke."

"So you and daddy can't hear her talking Jiminy?" Annabelle asked staring at Figgy.

"It seems that way. You sure are lucky!"

"You're a very special girl, Annabelle!" said Pinocchio delightfully.

"I'm glad I can hear you talk to me Figgy," said Annabelle happily.

"Me too Annabelle!" Annabelle held the kitten in her arms and cuddled her. It was evident these two would be close friends. Just then Pinocchio looked at the clock and saw it was eleven-thirty.

"Alright everyone, it's very late. I think we should all get back to bed."

"I agree. It's been a long night for all of us." Jiminy yawned and stretched his arms, feeling exhausted from everything that had happened.

"What's bed, daddy?" Annabelle asked.

"That means you have to lay down, close your eyes and rest Annabelle," Pinocchio explained to his new daughter.

"But why?"

"Because, dear, when people get tired, they go to sleep at night. They need sleep so that they can wake up in the morning fully rested and ready to work and play."

"Aw! But I'm not..." Annabelle then felt drowsy and opened her mouth letting out a big sleepy yawn indicating she was tired.

"See? You're tired, and you need to rest for tomorrow," Pinocchio kneeled down and scooped her up again.

"But I want to play with Figgy!" Annabelle complained not wanting to go to bed.

"Now, Annabelle, I'm your father, and when I say it's time for bed you have to sleep! You can play with Figgy tomorrow." Pinocchio corrected her.

"I'd listen to your what your father says, Annabelle!" said Jiminy. "Remember what the Fairy said?"

"Okay, I'm sorry, daddy. I'll go to bed then." Annabelle gave in. Jiminy hopped onto Pinocchio's shoulder as he turned off the light and carried Annabelle upstairs. He brought her into his old bedroom that Geppetto had built for him. It was a small room with a book shelve, a dresser, a chest filled with toys and a big bed in the corner.

"This was my room when I was little, Annabelle," said Pinocchio. "Now that you're alive, I'll fix it up so it can be yours."

"Wow, Daddy, I love it!" Annabelle was amazed at all the many things around the room, especially the toys. Pinocchio sat her on the bed, removed her dress, hat, and clogs and dressed her in a pink sleeping gown. He then laid her down and tucked her under the covers making sure she was comfortable.

"Now then you close your eyes and go to sleep young lady. When you wake up tomorrow, we can celebrate, okay?"

"Okay, daddy." Pinocchio knelt down and kissed her Goodnight like Geppetto used to do. But as he walked away, she sat up.

"Wait, Daddy! Where are you going?"

"Jiminy and I are going to sleep in my room, Annabelle,"

"But I don't want to be alone in here!" she cried afraid of sleeping by herself. Hearing her cries, Figgy jumped onto the bed and curled up next to her.

"How about I sleep in here and keep you company, Annabelle? Then you won't be lonely." said the little kitten.

"Okay. Thanks, Figgy," Annabelle smiled and laid her head down on the pillow. She felt less afraid having the kitten beside her. Seeing that Annabelle was no longer scared, Pinocchio turned off the light.

"Goodnight Annabelle. Sweet dreams."

"Good night daddy! And to you, Jiminy!" she replied, closing her eyes and going to sleep. Once he was sure Annabelle and Figgy were asleep, Pinocchio walked out closing the door behind him. As he returned to his bedroom, he was delighted that now he was a proud father.

End of Chapter-2 


	3. Chapter 3 Annabelle meets a real girl

Chapter 3 - Annabelle makes a friend

The morning had come to the sleepy village. The church bells in the tower began to ring, and the townspeople emerged from their homes to start their day. In Geppetto's workshop, Pinocchio's new daughter Annabelle was sleeping soundly in her father's old bedroom with Figgy. The kitten woke and looked over at the puppet girl sleeping peacefully. She slowly approached her face and licked her cheek.

"Annabelle. Wake up, Annabelle." Hearing Figgy's voice, Annabelle opened her eyes, sat up and yawned.

"Is it time to wake up Figgy?" She asked while rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Yes, it is. It's morning time which means we have to get up so we can eat and play."

"I wonder if my dad and Jiminy are awake," Annabelle tried to stand up, but as soon as she tried to move, she began to wobble and tumbled off the bed. Her wooden body clattered on the hard floor. "Ow!"

"Are you okay, Annabelle?" said Figgy jumping off the bed and looking her over.

"I forgot I don't know how to walk yet." Annabelle felt annoyed that she had once again failed to walk and picked herself up. Pinocchio heard the noise and came running into the room.

"Annabelle! Are you alright?" He looked down, and she was sitting on the floor.

"I fell off the bed, Daddy." Pinocchio picked her up off the floor and checked to make sure she hadn't damaged herself. She appeared to have no injuries due to being made of sturdy wood.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I was so excited that you came to life last night I forgot to teach you to walk," He felt irresponsible for not thinking of this sooner. It was evident he had a lot to learn about being a parent. "Let's get you dressed and then I'll teach you to walk. Okay?"

"Okay, Daddy." Annabelle smiled and kissed Pinocchio on his cheek. He sat her on the bed, removed her sleeping gown and helped her put on her blue dress, hat, and clogs. He then carried her downstairs where Jiminy was waiting for them.

"Good morning Pinocchio and Annabelle," he greeted them.

"Morning Jiminy. Did you sleep well?" Pinocchio asked.

"I slept great Pinoke. It's good to be back sleeping in my own home again. So how does it feel being a father?" Pinocchio looked at his new daughter and smiled proudly.

"I couldn't be happier. Though I think I still have a lot to learn about being a dad."

"Well if you need advice I'll help you any way I can. After all the fairy asked me to be her conscience, so we're both responsible for her."

"Thanks a lot, Jiminy. Now young lady let's get you walking." He placed her on the floor to stand up, but Annabelle wobbled back and forth, losing her balance again and fell.

"Why do I keep falling?!" Annabelle whined. Pinocchio wondered why Annabelle was having so much trouble balancing herself. He picked her up and ran into the workshop. "Where are we going daddy?" Pinocchio placed Annabelle on the table and examined her legs. He was so absorbed in what he was doing that he didn't reply to her at first. He bent her legs a few times and realized what the problem was.

"Ah-ha! I see what the problem, Princess! The joints in your knees are too loose. That's why you keep falling." He explained.

"Can you fix them, daddy?"

"I sure can! Your grandpa Geppetto taught me all about how to fix problems like this!" He took out a bolt tightener and used it to tighten the metal pins in Annabelle's knees that held her thighs and ankles together hoping it would help her balance better.

"Ouch! Daddy that hurts!" Annabelle cried.

"Sorry, Annabelle!" Pinocchio was surprised she felt pain. Being made of wood, she shouldn't have been able to feel anything at all. Jiminy had been watching Pinocchio work from one of the shelves above.

"That man is pretty determined," he said talking to one of the figurines next to him. "Looks like he still has some things to learn about crafting too." In less than a minute, Pinocchio finished up tightening Annabelle's joints.

"There, how does that feel?" Annabelle bent both her legs and they felt less loose than they did before.

"That feels much better!" She smiled and clapped her hands.

"Great! Let's give this another try then." Pinocchio brought her back into the living room and placed her on the floor to stand up again. This time she stood up perfectly without wobbling at all. Pinocchio then stood over her, held up her arms and demonstrated to how to walk. Annabelle found it tricky to mimic Pinocchio's movements, but within minutes she was walking around entirely on her own.

"Look, daddy, I can walk!" She cheered starting to get the hang of it. She was so excited that she starting moving faster.

"Annabelle! Slow down! Watch out!" Pinocchio shouted. Right when he said this, Annabelle stumbled and crashed into a shelf knocking it over and breaking a vase. Pinocchio ran over and picked her up.

"Look what you did young lady! You broke your grandfather's favorite old vase! You have to be more careful!" Pinocchio scolded her.

I'm sorry, daddy," she whimpered looking like she was about to cry.

"You don't have to so hard her, Pinoke!" said Jiminy. "It was an accident! She's new and doesn't know any better! You were just as energetic and clumsy when you were a puppet!" Realizing his mistake, Pinocchio breathed calmly and looked at Annabelle.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean to yell at you. Just try not to walk so fast next time. Ok?"

"Ok! Hehe!" She giggled playfully. Pinocchio then set her down, cleaned up the broken vase.

"Now then, let's have some breakfast, shall we?"

"Sounds good, Pinoke," Jiminy agreed. "I haven't eaten since I got back. I can't wait to taste your cooking."

"What's breakfast daddy?" Annabelle asked not understanding the concept of eating.

"You go ahead and start cooking, Pinoke. I'll explain it to her." Jiminy did just that while Pinocchio prepared some breakfast for them. Annabelle walked around exploring the house when Figgy came over accompanied by a large black cat with yellow sleepy-looking eyes and a white face, belly, and paws. It was Geppetto's old cat Figaro who was a kitten when Pinocchio was younger. Now he was much older and had a grumpy look on his face.

"Hey, Annabelle!" said little Figgy, "This is my daddy Figaro."

"Nice to meet you, Figaro, I'm Annabelle." She reached out to pet him, but Figaro frowned and back away from her.

"Oh Great! Just what we needed! Another walking talking puppet!" He said rudely.

"Daddy! That wasn't very nice! Don't be so grouchy!" Figgy scolded her father. Figaro looked at his kitten and shook his head.

"If there's one thing I've learned Figgy, it's that puppets are nothing but trouble! Remember how I told you about all the trouble master Pinocchio caused for poor old Geppetto?" Pinocchio walked into the room and saw Annabelle talking to the cats. Even though he couldn't understand what they were saying to her, it was cute that his daughter could hear what they said.

"I see you met Figaro. He was my little kitten when I was a boy."

"I don't think he likes me, daddy," replied Annabelle with a sad frown.

"Figaro's just old, princess. He's not as young and energetic as Figgy is." The old cat looked at Pinocchio, yawned, walking away, curled up in the corner and went to sleep. When breakfast was ready, Pinocchio made three bowls of oatmeal for Annabelle, himself, and the cricket. Pinocchio and Jiminy explained to her how to eat, even though they didn't think she'd be able to being a wooden puppet with no internal stomach. But to their amazement, she finished her bowl pretty quickly which left them speechless.

"Mmm, That was good daddy! More please!" Pinocchio and Jiminy continued to stare without saying a word. "Is something wrong?" Annabelle noticed their confused looks.

"The fairy's magic must have been stronger than we thought, Pinoke!" said Jiminy.

"She can feel pain, eat, and she can understand animals! She's a lot different than me when I used to be a puppet," Pinocchio replied. "She's a miracle!" After breakfast, Pinocchio gave his daughter some toys to play with, and Jiminy watched her while he did some work in the shop. A few hours later, Annabelle came running into the room.

"Daddy, Daddy, can we go outside, please!" she asked grabbing his arm and pulling on it. Pinocchio wasn't sure about taking her into the village. Real people were not used to seeing puppets that can move on their own and he worried what they would think of her.

"You can't keep her shut up inside the house Pinoke. She needs to explore and make friends and learn things for herself if she ever wants to be real like you."

"I know that Jiminy, but-"

"But what? Your father let you out into the world with no problem! Give the girl a chance."

"I suppose you're right," Pinocchio nodded in agreement. "I'll take her for a walk through the town and show her around."

"YIPEE!" Annabelle cheered jumping up and down. Her wooden body clattered as she hopped around.

"Ok, ok, Annabelle! Settle down!" Pinocchio told her. Annabelle finally stopped jumping and calmed herself. "Do you want to come with us Jiminy?"

"No thanks. I think I'll stay here. Let you two have some father-daughter time together."

"Can I go, can I go?!" Figgy begged running in circles around Annabelle's feet.

"Can Figgy come too, daddy?" Annabelle asked politely.

"Yes, dear, you can bring her," Annabelle picked up the kitten and followed Pinocchio to the front door. "Now Annabelle, while you are walking in the town, you must stay with me and listen to what I tell you. Understand?"

"Yes, daddy." Annabelle nodded in reply.

"Have fun you three!" Jiminy waved as they walked out the door.

Pinocchio walked through the town holding Annabelle's hand while she carried Figgy in her left arm. Pinocchio noticed a few of the townspeople staring at them as they walked along. Some of them were bewildered to see a living puppet again after so many years. Others thought she looked adorable and were happy to see her walking with him. Annabelle was curious about everything she saw and paid no attention to the people staring at her.

"Wow Daddy what's that?" She asked pointing to several buildings with pastries, fruits, and vegetables.

"That's the market, Annabelle. It's where we buy food," Pinocchio explained.

"What's that?" She pointed to a store that sold clothing.

"That's where we buy clothes." Pinocchio knew Annabelle was very curious about the world and filled with many questions.

"Oh wow! Look at that!" Annabelle suddenly broke free from Pinocchio's hand and took off running.

"Annabelle! Come back here!" He shouted, but she was already out of sight. Pinocchio started to panic. He couldn't believe how quickly she had disappeared. He ran frantically calling for her fearing something terrible might happen to her. Little did he know, Annabelle was nearby looking at a souvenir stand with little trinkets. When she turned around she realized her father was gone.

"Daddy? Daddy where are you!" She looked everywhere but didn't Pinocchio was gone.

"You shouldn't have run away from him like that!" said little Figgy.

"What should I do Figgy?" Annabella started to feel worried.

"Let's just walk around, and maybe we'll find him." Annabelle walked around looking for her dad but couldn't find him. As she turned a corner, she suddenly collided with something and fell dropping Figgy.

"Ouch! Hey watch where you're walking!" said a voice she didn't recognize. When she looked, she saw a girl with short curved brown hair with freckled spots on her cheeks. She was wearing an overall red dress, a yellow shirt with puffy sleeves, a red hat on her head, long gray stockings, and white buckled shoes. She appeared to be wearing glasses too.

"It's a girl!" Annabelle said in amazement seeing a human girl for the first time. "I'm sorry I didn't see you! Are you alright?" she asked helping the girl up. She brushed the dirt off her dress and adjusted her glasses.

"I'm okay I..." but when the girl looked at Annabelle, she was shocked to see that she was a live puppet. "Hey! You're a wooden puppet!"

"Of course I'm a puppet. What else would I be?" The girl was even astonished when she heard Annabelle speak.

"I-I don't believe it! How are you able to walk and talk without strings?" the girl asked.

"I was made by my daddy. He wished on a star, and a blue fairy lady came and made me come to life."

"Really? Wow! I thought Fairies were made up, but I guess they do exist after all. That's the only explanation that would make sense of how you can move and talk like me."

"Hehehe! You're funny! My name's Annabelle. Are you a real girl?"

"Well, Sure I'm real! It's nice to meet you, Annabelle. My name is Alexandra Antonin. But everyone calls me Alex."

"Wow! I've never seen a real girl before! You are so cool! Hey what are those things on your face?" she pointed to the girl's glasses.

"These are my glasses. I have bad eyesight, so I need to wear these to help me see better. But I don't like wearing them."

"Why don't you like to wear your glasses, Alex?"

"Well, because other kids think they make me look stupid and they laugh and tease me, calling me a four-eyes. I wish I could see better so that I don't have to wear them." Alex frowned with sadness and Annabelle felt sorry for her.

"Aw, don't be sad Alex! l like you and I don't think your glasses are stupid." Alex was surprised to hear a lovely comment about her glasses for the first time. A feeling of happiness she hadn't felt in a long time crept into her heart.

"Aw, Thank you. You're the first person that's ever said that they like me and my glasses. Do you want to be friends?"

"Friends, What does that mean?"

"A friend is someone that you talk to and play with," Alex explained. "If you and I are friends, then we can hang out and do stuff together. I don't have many friends, so I'd love to have a friend who likes me and my glasses."

"Okay! Let's be friends!" Annabelle smiled and shook Alex's hand.

"Oh, my! Is that pink kitten yours?" Alex noticed Figgy who had been listening to their conversation. Annabelle picked her up and showed her to her Alex.

"Yes, this kitten is mine. This here is Figgy. She's my little friend," The kittened meowed happily. "She said hello."

"Nice to meet you Figgy." Alex gently petted her head. Figgy meowed happily. Just then Annabelle remembered her father.

"Alex, can you help me find my daddy? We were walking together, and I accidentally ran away from him, and now I'm lost."

"I'd be happy to help you find him. What does your dad look like?" Annabelle tried her best to describe her father to her friend. "Oh! Your dad is the toymaker. Okay, Annie, let's look around and see if we can find him." The girls walked around the town together looking for Pinocchio. They checked the town square, and soon Alex spotted someone who fit his description. "Is that your dad Annabelle?" Alex pointed out to Pinocchio. Annabelle looked and recognized him.

"Yes! That's him! Daddy! Daddy!" she yelled running towards him. Hearing her voice, Pinocchio turned around and saw her approaching.

"Annabelle! There you are!" Pinocchio ran towards his daughter and threw his arms around her tightly. He was greatly relieved that Annabelle was safe and unharmed. "Little lady where have you been? I was worried something might have happened to you!"

"I'm sorry I ran away from you. Are you mad again?" She asked afraid he might angry at her for disobeying him.

"No, I'm not mad at you. But don't ever run off like that again! Do you understand me?"

"Yes, daddy," Annabelle promised. Alex walked over and was glad to see her friend had found her father. "Daddy this is my new friend, Alex. She helped me find you."

"Hello, Mister Pinocchio, Sir," said Alex glad to see the toymaker. Pinocchio knew this girl well because she had been to the shop many times before with mother and a few other children.

"Hello, Alexandra. Nice to see you. Thank you for finding Annabelle and helping her."

"You're welcome. I'm glad was able to help Annie find you." Alex smiled happily.

"Come on Annabelle. I think we better get home now. It's getting close to lunchtime, and I believe that you've explored the town enough for today."

"Aww, but I want to stay and play with Alex!" Annabelle frowned sadly not wanting to leave her new friend. Then Pinocchio got an idea.

"Well, then how about we invite her to come over for lunch? Then you two can play and get better acquainted with each other."

"Yes! Yes!" Annabelle said hopping for joy.

"Alexandra, Would you like to come to our house for lunch? Annabelle would be very happy if you did."

"Sure, Mister Pinocchio. I just have to ask my mom. She's right over there, so I'll be right back," Alex ran over to her mother and asked for permission to go to Annabelle and Pinocchio's home. They waited patiently, and after a minute she came back. "She said it's alright as long as I'm home by dinner time. My mother knows your daddy well so I can come."

"Yeah!" Annabelle cheered and gave her friend a hug. "Come on, Alex! Let's go!"

End of Chapter 3


	4. Chapter 4 Alex comes to visit

Chapter 4 - Alex comes to visit.

Pinocchio, Annabelle, and Alex started walking back to the workshop. Pinocchio was delighted that his daughter already made a friend so quickly given her out of the ordinary appearance. Alex still seemed a little bewildered that Annabelle was alive and able to move freely on her own without strings. But the puppet girl was so kind to her and it made her feel happy inside.

"Hey, Alex, who was that lady you were talking to?" Annabelle asked her friend.

"That was my mom. I don't have a dad, so it's just her and me." Alex explained.

"A mom? Is that like a daddy?"

"Yes. But a dad is a man, and a mom is a woman. My mom said she knew your dad when they were kids and that they were friends."

"That correct, Alex," said Pinocchio. "Your mother Juliana and I went to school together, and she was like an older sister to me. Her grandfather Mister Antonio and my father Mister Geppetto were childhood friends. He was a retired carpenter. Julie and I used to visit him after school, and he'd tell us stories of when he and my father were boys."

"I never met my great grandfather. Mom said he passed away years before I was born."

"You would have loved him, Alex. He was like an uncle to me. My father Geppetto was very sad when he died though, and so was your mother."

"Hey, daddy I was wondering. Where's grandpa Geppetto?" When Annabelle asked this question, Pinocchio was afraid to answer.

"Uh...I'll tell you some other time Annabelle okay?"

"Okay!" Annabelle smiled. Pinocchio felt she was too young to learn about death just yet.

"Excuse me, but, how long has Annie been alive for Mr. Pinocchio?" Alex asked.

"She just came to life last night. Everything is new to her because she's like a newborn child and doesn't understand a lot of things about the world yet."

"Oh. That s so amazing that she can walk and talk without strings. You did a great job building her. She almost looks like a real girl."

"Someday Alex I'm going to be a real girl like you," Annabelle told her. "But the fairy lady said I have to learn how to be a real girl by learning right from wrong and being brave, truthful and unselfish like Daddy."

"Really? Well if you want to learn right from wrong and how to be smart, you should come to school with me Annie!"

"School? Daddy, what's school?"

"It's where children go to learn to read, write, and count, make friends and learn to do what's right. Now that you're alive you ll have to go to school like I did when I was a boy."

"But I thought you and Jiminy were going to teach me."

"Jiminy and I can't teach you everything, princess. You have to learn and experience things on your own too. That's what your grandfather taught me."

"Okay! I'll go to school with Alex then."

"Yay, that s fantastic, Annie!" cheered Alex happily. "You re going to love school so much, I just know it!" Soon the group arrived back at the workshop where Jiminy was sitting on a chair reading a book when they walked in.

"Welcome back. How did Annabelle behave Pinoke?" Jiminy asked, then he noticed Alex. "Oh, I see we have a guest!"

"We were walking around, and she got too excited and ran off. Luckily this girl found her and brought her back." Pinocchio explained the situation.

"Jiminy this is my new friend, Alex!" Annabelle introduced her friend to the cricket. He hopped over, jumped on Annabelle's shoulder and introduced himself.

"Pleased to meet you Alex. Cricket's the name. Jiminy Cricket."

"It s very nice to meet you mister Jiminy Cricket!" replied Alex.

"Jiminy is my conscience. He teaches me about what's right and what's wrong," said Annabelle.

"That amazing! I hope you don't mind me helping teach Annabelle how to be real as well Jiminy?"

"Not at all! The more, the merrier!" Jiminy nodded in approval.

"Jiminy was my conscience when I was a puppet like Annabelle too," said Pinocchio reminiscing on when he was younger. "We had some crazy adventures together, and they taught me a lot of things. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be the man I am today."

"Hold on a sec! You were a puppet too?!" said Alex in surprise.

"Yes, I indeed was. Like Annabelle here I was built by my father and brought to life in the same way." Alex still was trying to absorb the information still in shock.

"You both are amazing people! If you became real Mr. Pinocchio, then I just know that Annie will too!"

"Thanks, Alex! I hope so too!" replied Annabelle with a big smile. After the introduction, Pinocchio led the girls into the kitchen and made some peanut butter sandwhichs for everyone. The girls then went upstairs to Annabelle's room and played with some of the toys while Jiminy watched. Figgy took a nap on the bed with Figaro as the girls played. Jiminy was pleased to see Annabelle interacting with a real human girl. Alex seemed pretty educated and was a good influence on the puppet girl.

"So what's this school place like Alex?" Annabelle asked curiously.

"Well, we sit at our desks and read our spelling books while the teacher tells us things like how to read and write and count. We also go outside for recess to play with other kids and make friends."

"Sounds like fun! I can't wait to go!" Annabelle cheered with excitement.

"That's the right attitude kiddo," said Jiminy standing up on the bed. "If you want to be real you'll need a good education along with good behavior."

"Hey, Annie I was wondering about something. If you become a real girl do you think maybe someday I'll be able to see better and won't have to wear my glasses?" Alex asked.

"Sure you will Alex!" Annabelle crawled over and hugged her friend. "Maybe when I become real, then your eyes will get better too, and we'll both be happy."

"As long as you girls stay on the right track, work hard and believe in your goals then you'll both get what you desire," Jiminy assured them. "Before I met Pinocchio I never believed that dreams and miracles could happen. But now I do after my days with Annabelle s father. If you keep believing than nothing is impossible."

"Thanks, Jiminy!" Alex smiled. She was happy to have made such wonderful and encouraging friends. It was the first time she had felt happy and confident about herself. After lunch, Pinocchio decided to celebrate Annabelle's birth which he forgot to do on the night it happened. He brought out some music boxes and turned them on while the girls danced around to the lovely music. Annabelle had a bit of trouble dancing and fell a few times, but Alex helped her up and taught her how to move and balance herself. Pinocchio played his father s old accordion and joined in while Jiminy Cricket danced with a small female figurine on one of the music boxes. Everyone was having a wonderful time. Soon it was becoming evening, and the sun was starting to set.

"It's getting late," said Alex looking at the clocks. "I'd better get home before it gets dark and my mom starts to worry. I had a wonderful time meeting you, Annie, and celebrating. But I have to go now."

"Aw, do you have to go, Alex?" Annabelle asked sadly.

"I do. My mom is waiting for me at my house. But don't be sad Annie. I'll come back and visit you. And I'll see you when you come to school. Okay?"

"Okay, Alex. I had fun meeting you! I can't wait to see you again!" Annabelle was a bit sad to see her friend leave, so she gave her one last hug and a kiss on the cheek. Alex was surprised by the kiss, assuming that Annabelle was still in the early days of understanding how to act around others.

"Thank you for inviting me to your house, Mister Pinocchio," Alex said to Pinocchio.

It was nice having you here, Alex. You're welcome here anytime, and tell your mother I said hello."

"I will. And I'll see you at school on Monday Annie! Goodbye!" She waved and headed out the door. They watched her until she was out of sight.

Pinocchio was very proud of his daughter for learning so much in just one day. Though he and Annabelle both still had a lot to learn, he was confident that everything would work out fine.

End of Chapter 4 


	5. Chapter 5 Old acquaintances

Chapter 5 - Old acquaintances

Pinocchio and Jiminy spent the weekend preparing Annabelle for her first day of school and teaching her more about life. She had been alive for four days now and was adapting quite well to the world around her. Jiminy was proud of her progress throughout the weekend feeling like he had learned a lot himself about Annabelle's personality. She even helped Pinocchio in the workshop when he was busy building new things to put on sale. Whenever people came to the shop to buy a toy for their child or have Pinocchio repair a clock or music box, Annabelle would greet them politely, and play with some of the children. Pinocchio was so proud of his wooden daughter and what a fast learner she was. Around eight o'clock, he decided to put her to bed early so she would be ready for her first day of school in the morning. He had fixed up his old bedroom and made it more suitable for her. The walls and ceiling were painted pink and white, and the bed had a new blue blanket with star patterns on it. Annabelle put on her nightgown and climbed into bed with little Figgy beside her.

"Now Annabelle I want you in bed by this time every school night now, because you'll be going to school early in the mornings, okay?" Pinocchio said as he tucked her in.

"Okay Daddy," Annabelle replied. "Will I have fun at school tomorrow?"

"You sure will sweetheart. Now you lay down and go to sleep, little lady." Pinocchio was about to walk out of the room when Annabelle sat up again.

"Hey, Daddy?" Annabelle said.

"Yes, Annabelle?" Pinocchio answered.

"I think you're the best daddy in the world! And I love you." Pinocchio felt a warm and tender feeling in his heart when she said this. It was unconditional love. A feeling he hadn't felt since his father passed away. He sat on the edge of the bed and hugged her close.

"I love you too my little wooden princess." He kissed her goodnight and shed laid back down. As soon as she fell asleep, Pinocchio went downstairs to the living room and sat down next to Jiminy. Figaro hopped onto the sofa and curled on his lap. Pinocchio gently rubbed his hand across the old cats back and Figaro started to purr.

"I wish my father could see me now, Jiminy," Pinocchio said to his little friend.

"I'm sure he'd be very proud of you Pinoke, cause I sure am. After all the crazy adventures we had together you've become a very responsible young man. I'm sure Annabelle will be a responsible young woman one day too."

"I hope so, Jiminy," Pinocchio said hopefully.

The next morning, Pinocchio got Annabelle up bright and early and made breakfast then started getting her ready for her first day of school. Annabelle heard laughter outside and looked out the window to see all the village children hurrying along to school.

"Where are all those children going, Daddy?" Annabelle asked pointing out the window.

"Those are your schoolmates, Annabelle. Now let's get you ready so you can join them." Pinocchio made Annabelle a little backpack and packed her a peanut butter sandwich and a banana for lunch. He then handed a purple ABC book and a shiny red apple to give to the teacher. When she was ready, he opened the door and walked her outside. "Now Annabelle you behave yourself and listen to what your teacher says, understand?"

"Yes, daddy I will," Annabelle nodded. She was about to run off when Pinocchio stopped her.

"Wait, Annabelle! One more thing! Whatever you do, don't talk to any strangers on the way!" He warned her remembering what happened when he first went to school and was misled by two swindlers.

"Okay, Daddy, I won't." Annabelle gave Pinocchio a hug and kiss and started skipping merrily away. Figgy came out and attempted to follow her, but Figaro came running after and stopped her by laying his paw on her tail.

"Where do you think you're going, Missy?" Figaro said to the anxious little kitten.

"I want to go to school with Annabelle!" Figgy replied struggling to get free and follow the puppet girl but Figaro shook his head.

"You can't go! School is not for animals like us! You're staying home!" Figaro then picked the kitten up by the neck and carried her back inside the house.

"Bye, Daddy!" Annabelle turned around and waved as she danced away.

"Goodbye, princess! Have a good day!" Pinocchio waved back and watched her disappear around the corner. Just then he felt like something was missing. "Wait a sec, where's Jiminy?" As fast as the words escaped his mouth, Jiminy came outside and hopped onto his shoulder.

"I overslept Pinoke! Did Annabelle leave yet?" he asked.

"You just missed her Jiminy!" Jiminy had an unsettling feeling that Annabelle wouldn't make it to school.

"I'd better follow her and make sure she doesn't stray off like you did," Jiminy stated.

"Yes, good idea. I wouldn't want her to get into a similar situation like mine from years ago. But if something happens and she doesn't listen to you then come back and get me. Don't go after her yourself."

"Will do Pinoke. See ya later!" Jiminy replied and hopped away to catch up with Annabelle.

"Maybe I'm getting paranoid over this," said Pinocchio to himself as Jiminy disappeared. "She might be ok. I hope."

But little did Pinocchio know that farther away in the town, two shady looking characters were making their way through the streets. One was a tall and slender fox with a cream face and muzzle. He was wearing an old beige top hat with a light gray band, a beige vest, teal stirrup pants, cream gloves, a blue and red cape with a gold brooch and was carrying a black walking cane. The other was a short brown cat with a tan face and neck and a cream muzzle. He was wearing a dirty light purple shirt, yellow cape with a gold clasp, white opera gloves, purple pants, and an old gray top hat. It was Honest John and his dim-witted partner Gideon. The cons walked through the town carrying stacks of papers and were hanging them on the walls. They were posters advertising the return of the old gypsy puppet master Stromboli whom they sold Pinocchio to when he was a puppet.

"I still can't believe we have to work for that old geezer!" Honest grumbled putting up one of the posters. "All because Pinocchio escaped him all those years ago now we have to pay him back! Whose idea was it to sell him to that old gypsy?" He looked at his partner who was carrying the stacks of posters and the cat pointed his finger at him. "Of course it was mine! Do you think I'm stupid?" He yelled at furiously him and the cat shook his head in reply. "We've got to find some way to pay our debt or Stromboli might make us work for him forever!" As Honest pondered how to get himself and his friend out of their predicament, Annabelle came dancing down the road and passed by them.

"A little wooden girl! How lovely," he said casually continuing along trying to think. He then suddenly realized what had just passed by and did a sharp turn. "A WOODEN GIRL!?" He grabbed Gideon's arm making him drop the posters and ran after Annabelle. They ducked behind a corner and poked their heads out.

"Look Giddy! It's a living marionette just like Pinocchio!" They watched her skipping merrily away and soon Honest got an idea. "That's it! That's just what we need to get ourselves out of this mess!" Gideon scratched his head in confusion. "You brainless fool! If we bring that puppet girl to Stromboli, then our debt will be cleared, and we'll be free again!" Gideon smiled with delight thinking of what he could be doing with his life after they could be let loose. "Now come on! Let's get ahead of her!" Gideon followed Honest after Annabelle. The greedy fox and cat managed to get ahead without her seeing them. They hid behind a corner, peeked out and saw her approaching.

"Okay Giddy, here's the pl-" But before he could explain, he noticed that his partner was holding up his wooden hammer to strike Annabelle as she came around. "No no no you idiot!" He growled and quickly snatched the hammer from him. "We'll do this the same way we fooled Pinocchio! If she's anything like him, then she should be pretty gullible. Go it?" Gideon nodded his head and went along with his partner's plan. "Shh...Here she comes!" Honest put his plan into action. He pretended to be speaking to Gideon casually and right as Annabelle came around he stuck out his walking cane causing her to trip over it and fall to the ground.

"Whoa!" Annabelle shouted as she fell with the sound of wood clattering. She dropped her book, and her apple rolled away.

"Oh, my goodness how clumsy of me! I'm so sorry little girl! Are you hurt at all?" Honest picked her up and placed back on her feet. Gideon meanwhile grabbed her book and apple.

"I'm okay Mister," she replied brushing the dirt off from her skirt. Gideon handed her book and apple to Honest.

"I'm terribly sorry my dear! I was just talking to my friend here, and I didn't see you coming! I hope you can forgive me." He apologized and handed over her book and apple.

"That's okay Mister. I have to go now. Bye!" Annabelle started walking away, but Honest grabbed her shoulder.

"Hold on there little wooden lady! May we have a word with you first?" Annabelle turned around and looked at him.

"I'm sorry mister, but my daddy said not to talk to strangers!" She informed him.

"Is that so? And who is your daddy?" Honest inquired.

"Mister Pinocchio the toymaker," she answered.

"Ah-ha! I thought your face looked familiar!" Honest lean closer and realized how much her face resembled her dad's. This meant Pinocchio had escaped the Pleasure island and The Coachmen. "So you're Pinocchio's child, eh? The boy must have somehow grown up! Then I assure you we're no strangers, my dear! We're old friends of your father, right Giddy?" The cat smiled and tipped his hat. "The name's J. Worthington Fowl Fellow, but you may call me Honest John. And this silent buffoon here is my good friend Gideon."

"My name is Annabelle. It's very nice to meet you both. But I don't have time to talk now. I have to get to school, or I'll be late." Annabelle attempted to leave, but Honest stopped her again.

"School eh? Well then I suppose you haven't heard about the easy road to success?" he said telling her the same thing he told her father.

"Huh? No, what's that?" Annabelle asked curiously.

"I'm talking about the theater, my dear! Bright lights, music and lots of people cheering for you! Your father used to be a star performer singing and dancing and having the time of his life back in the old days. And with your looks and talent, you could be a famous actor just like him."

"Wow! Do you really think so?" Annabelle's curiosity grew as the Fox told her about the theater.

"Of course! You could be more famous then Pinocchio was! So what do you say, Miss Annabelle?" Annabelle was intrigued by this but then remembered where she was supposed to be.

"Hmm, It does sound fun but no thanks. I want to go to school and make daddy proud of me." Honest realized his efforts to persuade Pinocchio's daughter wasn't working. So he decided to try a different approach.

"Well then perhaps you could help out your father's old friend Mister Stromboli. Now that he's getting older he's been feeling sad and less motivated to do his puppet shows anymore because it's not as popular since your father stopped performing for him."

"Aw, that sounds awful!" Annabelle said believing his story.

"But if you performed for his show and helped him out, then I'm sure he would feel happy again, and your father would appreciate you helping his old friend."

"Hmmm...Okay!" Annabelle finally gave in. "I'll go then! I'll do anything to help my daddy's friend!"

"Splendid! Stromboli will be very pleased to have you perform and rekindle his spirit. Now if you'll follow us, we'll take you to meet him." Having persuaded Annabelle, the two swindlers began leading her away from school and towards Stromboli's theater. Meanwhile, Jiminy was hurrying along trying to catch up with Annabelle to make sure she made it to school safely, but he still couldn't find her.

"I hope that kid made it to school without getting distracted," he said to himself. Just then he stopped when he saw two figures approaching. As they got closer, he realized it was Honest John and Gideon and hid behind a corner as they passed by. "It's those two crooks again! What are they..." But when he saw they were walking with Annabelle, he started to panic. "Oh no! I knew this would happen! I've got to get Annabelle away from those guys!" He hopped after them and managed to get ahead. He didn't want to be seen because he knew if he revealed himself then Gideon might try and smash him with his hammer again. "I've got to distract them somehow so I can get Annabelle away from them! But how?" He looked around and noticed that someone had laid a basket of dirty clothing on a window and got an idea. He hopped onto the ledge which was held up by a pin and as Annabelle and the cons approached he pulled the pin and the platform collapsed. The dirty laundry basket fell on Honest and covered him with dirty clothes.

"What's the meaning of this!?" he shouted struggling to free himself from being buried under an avalanche of clothes. "Gideon! Get me out of this!" While Gideon attempted to free his comrade, Jiminy hopped down and landed on Annabelle's hat.

"Psst! Annabelle!" He whispered.

"Huh? Who said that?" she looked around but didn't see anyone.

"It's me!" Jiminy said hopping onto her nose.

"Oh! Hi, Jiminy! What are you doing here?"

"Let's talk somewhere private." He led her away as Gideon helped Honest John out of the dirty laundry pile. They hid behind a brick wall and made sure they were not followed.

"What do you want to talk about Jiminy?" Annabelle asked him.

"I want to know what you're doing with those two crooks. And why aren't you in school?" He asked with an angry frown and folded his arms over his chest.

"Mr. Honest John asked me to go to the theater to help daddy's friend Mr. Stromboli because he's sad and doesn't want to do his shows anymore." She explained.

"Annabelle! Don't you believe a word those goons tell you! They're just trying to mislead you like they did your father when he was a puppet. Stromboli is a greedy and evil man. And besides, you're supposed to be at school!"

"But Jiminy I..."

"No buts, young lady! You tell go them you're not going to the theater and that you're going to school! But be nice about it." Annabelle did as she was told and went back to where Honest and his partner were looking for her after being freed from the dirty laundry. Jiminy watched her talking to them and hoped she would do the right thing and return to him.

"Good-Bye, Jiminy!" She waved and started walking away with them again.

"What!?" Jiminy shouted in surprise. "Annabelle! You come back here this minute!" But it was too late. Annabelle had walked away with them. "Here we go again! That kid is just like her father. I'd better go tell Pinoke." Fearing Annabelle was walking straight into trouble, he ran back to the house to get Pinocchio.

End of Chapter 5. 


	6. Chapter 6 Stromboli's Plan

Chapter 6 - Stromboli's Plan

Honest John and Gideon led Annabelle out of the village and were heading to a big open field where Stromboli's puppet theater was set up. Annabelle was very excited to meet the gypsy whom she believed was a friend of her father and a poor struggling old man. But this was all a lie told by Honest to get her to come to the show hoping it would settle their debt to him. Honest led the way while Annabelle and Gideon followed behind.

"Are we almost there, mister Honest John?" Annabelle asked the fox.

"Just over the hill there, my dear!" Honest replied joyfully whilst humming to himself a song from years ago. Suddenly, Gideon tripped over a rock on the ground and fell over nearly knocking Honest over.

"Mister Gideon! Are you alright?" Annabelle shouted and quickly helped him up. Gideon appeared to be alright and brushed himself off. "You should be more careful. You could hurt yourself!" Gideon was surprised by Annabelle's concern for his wellbeing. Being unable to speak he didn't know how to say thank you to her. Honest, however, wasn't amused, so he scolded his partner for being so clumsy.

"He's fine my dear. He's not as intelligent as I am. Now then let us continue on our way." After walking a little farther on, they came upon a large caravan that was parked behind a big purple tent where the puppet show was to be held. Inside was a big wooden stage with a big red curtain.

"Is this Mister Stromboli's puppet theater?" Annabelle inquired.

"Yes, it is my dear. There will be lots of people showing up to see the show tonight with you as the main attraction." Honest explained.

"Oh, I don't care about being a star. I just want to help my daddy's friend." Annabelle stated.

"You have a very kind heart, Annabelle. Now you and Gideon wait here while I go have a word with the old man." Annabelle waited while Honest went backstage where he found Stromboli the puppet master instructing several puppeteers for his show. He looked older than he used too with his now gray hair and beard. He was wearing a dark green overcoat with silver buttons, a lime green sleeved shirt, and brown pants.

"Can't you incompetent amateurs do this right?" Stromboli yelled furiously swearing in his Italian language at the puppeteers. "The employees I hired fifteen years ago were better than you swine s!"

"We're sorry ," said one of the puppeteers worryingly. "But this is harder than it looks! How do you expect us to master it by this evening?"

"Ahem, pardon my interruption Stromboli, my friend," said Honest tapping his shoulder, "But might I have a word?" Stromboli turned around and growled at the fox.

"What do you want now Fowl fellow? Can't you see I'm busy! You and that cat should be in town advertising my return show!"

"Yes, but I have good news! Gideon and I found you a new addition that will surely make your show as big a success it was when Pinocchio performed for you."

"Pinocchio!" Hearing that name made Stromboli's temper rise, and he began to swear again. "That puppet lost me a fortune and made a fool of me! Because of him, my show hit rock bottom! If I ever see him again, I'll make him regret escaping me with my friend called fire!"

"Well, then I think you'll be pleased to hear what we brought you. We found another living puppet, and she is Pinocchio's daughter!"

"His daughter!?" Stromboli followed Honest and peeked out from the curtain. He looked astonished having not seen another living puppet in so long. "Incredible! She looks exactly like him! Pinocchio must have grown up somehow!"

"We told her you were an old friend of Pinocchio's and that you were sad because your show was failing. So we persuaded her to perform for you."

"Well done Fowl fellow! With Pinocchio's daughter as my new star performer, I'll finally have my revenge on that wooden brat!" Stromboli smiled viciously. But Honest suddenly realized something that could possibly ruin everything.

"But wait a minute! Suppose Pinocchio comes for his child?"

"Of course he will. If he has a living puppet daughter, then he must know how to bring puppets to life. So, we'll use the puppet show to lure Pinocchio here and capture him again. Once I have him back, I'll make him tell me how to bring my puppets to life. I'll no longer have to hire puppeteers to work for me! I'll be the richest man in the world!"

"Yes, yes, that's very good and all. Also if you Pinocchio and his child then, you'll no longer need us anymore. Right, old boy?"

"Hmm...Very well," Stromboli knew Honest was only trying to bribe him to release them from his services. "But first you help me capture Pinocchio. Then you re free to go."

"It's a deal." The two shook hands in agreement. As they came out from behind the stage, they found Annabelle dancing around with Gideon while he pretended to use his walking cane as an instrument. "What's going on here?" Honest shouted. Gideon and Annabelle stopped dancing the moment their eyes made contact. Gideon hid his cane hoping Honest wouldn t notice.

"Mister Gideon was helping me practice my dancing," Annabelle replied cheerfully.

"That's wonderful my dear! Now then I'd like to introduce you to Mister Stromboli!" Annabelle was a bit surprised at the puppet master's size.

"Hello, Hello, Mister Stromboli! I m Annabelle. It s very nice to meet you." She smiled and gave him a curtsy.

"It's nice to meet you too Miss Annabelle," Stromboli smiled and shook her hand. "So you're Pinocchio's little girl eh?"

"Yes, sir. Are you really my daddy's friend?"

"Of course I am! Your daddy used to perform for my show, but he told me he didn't want to be an actor and went home to his father. Sadly my puppet show just hasn't been the same since he left. Hardly anybody comes to see it anymore. I'm afraid I may have to retire and give up on the show entirely." Stromboli pretended to act sad and started sobbing.

"Aw please don't be sad, Mister Stromboli!" Annabelle fell for his act and pitied him. "Maybe if I performed for your show, then people would like it again, and you won't have to give it up!"

"Really? You'd do that for a poor old man like me?" he asked kneeling down to her.

"Sure I would! Daddy taught me that I should always help someone who needs help!"

"Your father has taught you very well little one," Stromboli smiled and patted her head. "If you can make my show a success I'll be eternally grateful."

"I'll do my best!" Annabelle stated.

"Well Miss Annabelle we wish you the best of luck," said Honest. "But I'm afraid Gideon and I have other matters to attend to, so we must be going."

"Okay, then Mister Honest John. It was nice meeting you both."

"If you see your father, then please give him our best regards and that we hope to meet him again soon. Come now Giddy!" He grabbed his partner's arm and dragged him away. Gideon waved to Annabelle, and for some reason, he couldn't explain, he felt a tiny bit guilty for misleading her. Once they were gone Stromboli led Annabelle backstage to prepare for the puppet show. He smiled devilishly for soon his plan would be set in motion.

Meanwhile, Jiminy was still making his way home to warn Pinocchio about what had happened to Annabelle. Soon he finally reached the house and hopped onto the windowsill. He looked in and saw Pinocchio inside working on a broken clock.

"Pinocchio! Pinocchio! Open up! It's Me!" He banged on the glass and yelled frantically. Pinocchio looked up to see Jiminy shouting and opened to the window to let him inside.

"Jiminy! What's the matter?" Pinocchio asked him.

"Annabelle s in trouble Pinoke! You gotta come quickly!" He replied hopping up and down.

"What?! What happened to her Jiminy?!"

"I hate to tell you this, but she ran into those swindlers, Honest John and Gideon! They convinced her to go to Stromboli's puppet theater just like they did you!"

"What! Oh no! I was afraid this would happen!" Pinocchio's worst fears had come true. His daughter was now in the clutches of the wicked Stromboli. "We have to rescue her! Come on, Jiminy!" The cricket hopped into Pinocchio's shirt pocket as he ran out the front door eager to save his daughter from the evil puppet master.

"See what I mean Figgy?" said Figaro to his little kitten as they watched Pinocchio from outside the window. "Puppets are but trouble! This the same thing that happened with Pinocchio and Geppetto when I was a kitten! That Annabelle is just as much trouble as he as Puppet used to be!"

"I don't care what you say about her daddy! I love Annabelle!" She shouted and hissed at him angrily. "She's sweet and kind and you re always mean to her! You're just mean grumpy old cat! I'm going to help them! Goodbye!" And with that, she ran out the door following after Pinocchio and Jiminy. As Figaro watched her runoff, he thought about what she said and felt ashamed of himself for saying those terrible things about Annabelle. He then climbed onto the sofa and waited for Pinocchio to return.

End of Chapter 6 


	7. Chapter 7 A Heated Reunion

Chapter 7 A Heated Reunion

Later that evening as the sun began to set, a crowd of adults and their children came from the village to watch Stromboli's puppet show which hadn't been seen in many years. The stage was set up for the big performance, and Annabelle was set to be the star of the night. She thought she was doing it to help Stromboli because he was friends with her father, but it was all a trick that Stromboli planned to hopefully lure Pinocchio back to him so he could capture him again. Annabelle peeked out from behind the curtain, and when she saw all the people, she started to feel nervous.

"Gosh! I didn't realize that so many people would be here." Suddenly, Stromboli appeared behind her.

"You'll do fine out there, Annabelle, my dear," He said putting his hand on her shoulder. "Just do your performance as we rehearsed. Remember that you're doing this to help me."

"Okay, mister Stromboli. I'll do my very best," Annabelle said forgetting her fears and smiled with confidence.

"Good girl," Stromboli patted her head feeling victorious that he had got Annabelle right in his clutches and soon he would have her father too. "Now then it's time to get ready. Go stand over there, and when the curtain comes up, you do your song and dance okay?"

"Okay," Annabelle did as she was told and stood in the center of the stage waiting for the show to begin. Soon, Pinocchio and Jiminy arrived at the puppet show and entered the tent. Pinocchio removed his hat fearing that Stromboli might recognize him in the crowd. Just being there brought back memories of when he performed on the stage. After waiting for a few minutes, Stromboli came out to greet the audience. The minute Pinocchio saw him he clenched his teeth angrily.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" He said in a loud booming voice. "Stromboli the master showmen! That's me. Have finally returned to give you the greatest show you have ever seen!"

"He still sounds the same as he did all those years ago," said Pinocchio.

"Unfortunately yes," Jiminy agreed. "I bet he's got Annabelle behind that curtain."

"Tonight I have an extraordinary performance!" Stromboli announced. "I have a new star marionette who can sing and dance without strings! I now present to you, Annabelle! The daughter of Pinocchio!"

"I knew it! I'm going after her Jiminy!" said Pinocchio wanting to take action.

"Hold your horses there pal! If Stromboli sees you, then he can make a quick get-away!" Jiminy stopped him.

"But Jiminy! He's got my daughter! I can't let him make into a sideshow attraction!"

"Take it easy Pinoke. We'll have to bide our time. I don't wanna see this as much as you, but we must be patient." Pinocchio knew he was right, but it hurt him emotionally that all he could do for now was sit and watch.

"Oh Annabelle, If only I hadn't sent you off on your own." He said regretting actions that morning. At last, the show began. Stromboli conducted the orchestra, and the curtains came up. There standing in the center of the stage was Annabelle. When the music played, she started to sing.

"OH! There's no pup-" but as she started, she tripped over a loose floorboard on the stage and fell flat on her face. The audience burst out laughing when they saw her trip.

"Oh no!" Pinocchio covered his face with his hand and shook his head with embarrassment.

"There she goes! Already making a fool of herself as you did!" said Jiminy reminiscing on when Pinocchio performed on the stage and fell down a staircase. Annabelle was quite embarrassed by everyone laughing at her as she picked herself up. Stromboli was not pleased with her clumsiness but reframed from exploding and blowing his cover in front of the crowd.

"Sorry, Annabelle! I thought I fixed that floorboard," He apologized. "Let's start again." Pinocchio and Jiminy were surprised Stromboli hadn't gotten angry and exploded as he usually did. He resumed conducting the orchestra, and Annabelle started singing again.

"OH! There's no puppets like show puppets like no puppets I know! Everything about them is fantastic, every little silly thing they do! Nowhere could you get a happy feeling when you see them taking that finale bow! There's no puppets like show puppets they smile when are hanging low. Even though you're of made wood you never fold, you could be standing out in the cold, still wouldn't trade it for a bag of gold, let's go on with the show!"

The audience was enjoying the show as they watched her dancing along with all the other puppets that dropped onto the stage. Pinocchio wasn't enjoying the show at all, as it only reminded him of how silly and foolish he was performing on that stage all those years ago. Annabelle was too absorbed in her performance to notice her father in the crowd. She jumped in the air kicking and spinning her wooden legs and spun around in circles whilst sing merrily and having the time of her life. As the show came to an end, she finished with one last twirl and a hop.

"Ta-da!" She shouted striking a finishing pose. The crowd began clapping their hands and applauded her. Annabelle was so happy that everyone liked her performance. "Thank you, everyone! Thank you!" She replied curtseying. Stromboli came up on stage, stood beside her and bowed to the crowds.

"I hope you all enjoyed my show tonight and our special performer," he told them. "I look forward to seeing you all again next year." As the show ended, the townspeople took their children home. Pinocchio waited till everyone had left and sneaked back inside to retrieve his daughter.

"You better be careful Pinoke!" Jiminy warned him. "Stromboli might try and capture you again."

"I'm not scared of him anymore!" Pinocchio said boldly. "Now that I'm a grown man, I can handle that old Gypsy!" Jiminy still had an unsettling feeling and hid in Pinocchio's shirt pocket. Pinocchio made his way backstage and heard Stromboli's talking and singing. He peeked through the curtain and saw him sitting at a wooden table with Annabelle and counting all the money he had made from the show.

"Did I do good Mister Stromboli?" Annabelle asked.

"You were FANTASTIC, Annabelle!" Stromboli said in a big thundering voice. "I haven't made this much money in years!"

"Does that mean you're not going to give up your show?"

"Of course not! Thanks to you my show has become famous again! Even greater than when your father performed for me!"

"I'm glad I was able to help you. I can't wait to tell daddy how good I did!" Looking at a Stromboli's watch, she realized it was past her curfew time. "I should be going home now, Mister Stromboli. I have to go to school tomorrow, and daddy wants me in bed at this time."

"School!? My dear child why would you want to go to school?"

"Because I want to learn to be smart and know right from wrong so I can be a real girl."

"A real girl! Ahahaha! Oh, that's hilarious!" Stromboli started laughing out loud.

"What's so funny mister Stromboli?" Annabelle inquired.

"You wanting to be a real girl. That's what's funny." Stromboli continued laughing hysterically.

"Why is me wanting to be a real girl funny?" Annabelle didn't understand why Stromboli thought it was so funny that she wanted to be a real girl.

"Because you're a wooden puppet and you can't become a real person!" Annabelle felt sad when he said this. Pinocchio was furious at Stromboli for lying to her and trying to crush her dream.

"But daddy was a puppet, and he became a real person," Stromboli kept laughing like he didn't believe her. "Well, I'm going to go home now. Okay?" A mean sinister look came to Stromboli's face which made Annabelle shake a little.

"You're not going anywhere, my little wooden lady!" Stromboli finally began to show his true colors and suddenly flipped the table. Annabelle fell over, and before she could escape, Stromboli seized her and lifted her up. "You're going to be my new star puppet and make me filthy rich!"

"Hey! What are you doing?! Let me go! I don't want to be a performer!" She yelled trying to break free, but the puppet master had a tight grip on her.

"You don't have a choice! In fact, I've still got your father's old cage in my caravan. That will be your new home!" Stromboli said sinisterly and started carried to his caravan outside.

"No! No! Let me go! Help! Help! Daddy!" She cried kicking and screaming. Seeing his daughter in danger, Pinocchio stepped out from his hiding place and yelled furiously at the puppet master.

"Stromboli! You get your greedy hands off her!" He shouted angrily. Stromboli turned and at first, he didn't recognize Pinocchio.

"Who are you, young man?" He inquired.

"Daddy! Help!" Annabelle cried but Stromboli covered her mouth.

"Daddy? Wait a minute..."

"It's me Pinocchio! And I'm here to get my daughter back!" He exclaimed and pointed at Annabelle.

"Well, well. It's been a long time, my old friend. I see you've grown up and you're no longer a puppet." Stromboli was surprised to see that Pinocchio wasn't wooden anymore but that didn't matter because his plan had worked.

"You haven't changed after all these years, you greedy old man! Stealing living puppets to perform for your show just like you did to me!"

"You belonged to me, Pinocchio! I bought you from Fowl fellow, and you abandoned me! Because of you, my show was ruined! Now I'm going to take this little one as payment for you deserting me!"

"I never belonged to you or Honest John! And I won't let you use my little Annabelle for your dumb puppet shows! Now let her go, or I'll call the police!"

"You won't be calling anyone. I knew you would come for your child and you walked right into my trap. Seize him!" Honest John and Gideon appeared from behind Pinocchio and grabbed his arms and his legs. He tried to shake them off, but the Fox had a firm grip on him.

"If it isn't our old pal Pinocchio! Long-time no see," said Honest who began tying Pinocchio's arms behind his back. "I see you've changed since the last time we saw you."

"Honest John! You double-crossing swindler!" Pinocchio shouted angrily. "I see you two haven't changed either!" The Fox and his partner forced their captive down on his knees.

"I knew it was a trap!" Jiminy shouted.

"Why are you all doing this? I thought you were my daddy's friends?!" asked Annabelle when she saw the Honest and Gideon tying her father up.

"You thought wrong you silly wooden girl!" said Honest laughing at her. "You're just as foolish and gullible as your father used to be."

"Now Pinocchio you're going to tell me what I want to know," said Stromboli still holding Annabelle under his left arm. "I want to know how to bring these puppets to life." Pinocchio realized if he told Stromboli about the blue fairy than he would try and capture her and force her to bring his puppets to life.

"I'll never tell you how Annabelle and I were brought to life!" He replied angrily.

"If you won't tell me, then I'll turn your precious little girl into firewood!" Stromboli picked up an ax and held it to Annabelle's neck.

"Daddy! Help me!" Annabelle screamed as the puppet master moved the blade closer to her.

"No! Please don't hurt her Stromboli!" Pinocchio begged. "I'll do whatever you want! Just let Annabelle go!"

"Then tell me how you brought her to life!" Stromboli demanded.

"Alright. I'll tell you."

"No! Don't tell him, Pinoke!" Jiminy pleaded. Outside the tent, Figgy had been tracking down Pinocchio and Jiminy after she had lost their tracks. When she made her way inside, she started looking around for the others, but she didn't see anyone. Suddenly she heard Annabelle screaming.

"That was Annabelle! She must be in trouble!" She ran to the stage and jumped onto it, and crept into the back. She saw Pinocchio pinned to the ground and Stromboli holding Annabelle ready to chop off her head. "I've got to help them!" She noticed a poll Stromboli was standing behind which was holding up the ceiling. She crept over and climbed onto it then jumped down and sunk her teeth and claws into Stromboli's face.

"Ouch!" Stromboli screamed in pain.

"It's Figgy!" Annabelle cheered. The kitten hissed and screeched and dug her claws deeper which caused Stromboli to loosen his grip and release Annabelle. She fell to the ground free at last from his clutches.

"Get it off me! Get it off me!" Stromboli shouted waving his arms and stumbling backward. Seeing Annabelle was free, Figgy jumped off the puppet master's face. "Why you meddling furball!" Stromboli began to chase her, but she was too quick for him.

"I can't just hide like this anymore! I may be weak, but I gotta help Pinoke and Annabelle!" Said Jiminy as he bravely hopped out of Pinocchio's pocket, jumped onto Honest John's nose and poked him in the eye with his umbrella.

"Agh! I can't see!" cried the fox blinded by the pain. Gideon took out his hammer and chased the cricket around trying to smash him.

"You'll never catch me whiskers!" He taunted him. While Figgy and Jiminy distracted them, Annabelle ran to her father and quickly untied his arms. Once free Pinocchio through his arms around his daughter.

"Oh, my princess! Thank goodness your safe!" Pinocchio said with relief.

"I'm ok Daddy!" she replied hugging her father.

"Pinocchio! Help! Woo-hoo!" Jiminy yelled narrowly avoiding being smashed by Gideon. Pinocchio ran over, grabbed the hammer from Gideon and struck his head knocking him out.

"Pick on someone your own size you big bully!" Pinocchio shouted at him, and throw the hammer on the ground.

"Annabelle! Help me!" Figgy yelled narrowly avoiding being grabbed by Stromboli. She ran towards Annabelle and leaped into her arms.

"Fowl fellow! Grab them!" Stromboli called to Honest John. They both attempted to grab Annabelle but she ducked under Stromboli's legs, and the two collided with each other. Annabelle ran to Pinocchio, and he scooped her up.

"Let's get outta here!" said Jiminy hopping into Pinocchio's pocket. Pinocchio then started to run for the exit.

"Oh no, you don't! I'm not letting you escape me again Pinocchio!" Stromboli got to his feet and started to chase after them. Pinocchio turned around and kicked the supporting pole holding up the tent, and it started to collapse. "Noooo!" Stromboli yelled as the entire tent came down on top of him.

"Phew! That was close!" said Jiminy breathing a sigh of relief. "Good thinking Pinoke!"

"We better get out of here before they crawl out," said Pinocchio and started running away leaving the villains buried under the tent.

End of Chapter 7 


	8. Chapter 8 A Growing Lie

Chapter 8 - A Growing Lie

Pinocchio carried his daughter back to town. As they entered the village, Pinocchio saw a policeman patrolling the streets.

"Perfect timing! Officer! Please help us!" He called out to him.

"What the trouble sir?" asked the policemen.

"Stromboli tried to kidnap my daughter and me!" The policemen looked at Annabelle in his arms.

"How do I know you didn't steal that puppet from him?" He asked suspiciously.

"He's telling the truth officer!" said Jiminy jumping out of Pinocchio's shirt pocket. "Fowl fellow Honest John and his partner Gideon lured Annabelle to Stromboli, and they tried to capture her and Pinocchio here!"

"Honest John and Gideon! We've been looking for those two crooks for years! I'll get the boys over there, and we'll arrest them all. You get yourselves home safely."

"Thank you, officer," After the policemen had left, Pinocchio took a moment to rest and make sure everyone was unharmed. "Is everyone alright?"

"I'm alright Daddy. I think Figgy is too," said Annabelle still a bit shook from the ordeal and cuddling the kitten in her arms. Figgy meowed letting him know she wasn't injured.

"I'm okay too Pinoke," said Jiminy. "But for a while there I thought Gideon was going to squash me like a bug!"

"I'm glad you're all okay. I'd feel terrible if something happened to you guys."

"Thanks for saving me, daddy." Annabelle smiled.

"You're still in big trouble young lady," Pinocchio told her. "When we get home, you have a lot of explaining to do!" Annabelle didn't like the look on her father's face. She knew he was mad that she didn't go to school and feared what would happen when they got home.

Upon returning to the house, Pinocchio brought Annabelle into the living room, sat her down, and began to question her about what happened when she left for school earlier in the day.

"Now than Annabelle. Where did I tell you to go today?" He asked her.

"To school.." she answered nervously.

"Then explain to me why you didn't go to school as I instructed you. And I d like to hear the truth."

"Uh...well...I...uh?" Annabelle was too anxious to tell him and tried to think of an excuse to explain herself. She looked at Jiminy on her dad's shoulder, and he looked cross too.

"Go on Annabelle! Tell your father why you ditched school!" Jiminy ordered making her even more nervous.

"Well, daddy I was following the children to school when I...uh I met these two big scary monsters with red eyes and pointy teeth!" Just then, Annabelle felt her nose begin to twitch. A strange light appeared around it, and it suddenly grew a few inches. Annabelle was wide-eyed in surprise by this unusual feature that happened to her.

"Monsters huh?" Pinocchio said, folding his arms over his chest. "And what did they do?"

"They...uh...they tried to get me to go with them, but I said no, and they grabbed me and locked me in a cage!" Her nose sparkled and grew a few more inches as she continued to lie with a leaf growing on the end of it. Annabelle gasped when she saw her nose grow again. She poked the tip of it with finger wondering what was causing it to become longer.

"I see. And what about Jiminy? I sent him after you to make sure you got to school on time."

"He...uh...he tried to save me, but they caught him and put him in a little cage," Annabelle replied as her nose jolted outward again with more leaves popping up and growing bigger.

"Then what happened?" Pinocchio asked.

"Uh...then they brought us to the puppet show! And Mister Stromboli said if I didn't perform for him, he would chop me up into firewood!" Her nose grew more and more with branches growing at the end with tiny leaves on them. "Wha...what's happening? My nose!"

"I'll tell you what's happening Annabelle!" said Jiminy. "Your nose is growing because you're not telling the truth!"

"Bu-but I am telling the truth!" Annabelle said causing her nose to increase in size. The branches and leaves got bigger and pink flowers started to appear on them. Her nose was now five feet and so dense that she lost her balance and fell backward. Her wooden body clattered on the hard floor.

"Young lady! You know that's not what happened!" shouted Jiminy hopping onto the end of her nose and pointing his finger at her. "You're lying! And when you lie it's as plain as the nose on your face!"

"He's right Annabelle!" said Pinocchio angrily. "Jiminy told you not to go to the theater, and you didn t listen to him! You also embarrassed me and made a fool out of yourself in front of all those people! I am very disappointed in you!" Seeing how angry her father was and the results of what her lies had done to her nose, Annabelle felt sad and ashamed of what she did.

"I...I'm sorry, Daddy," Tears began leaking from her eyes, and she started to cry. Pinocchio felt terrible to see her cry. But as a father, he knew that he had to comfort her. Jiminy looked at him and felt maybe they were too hard on her.

"I think she's learned her lesson Pinoke," he said hopping off Annabelle's long nose.

Pinocchio knelt down, took out a handkerchief from his pocket and used it to dry his daughter s tears. After she stopped sobbing and settled down, he spoke kindly trying to get the truth from her.

"Annabelle, I'm sorry if Jiminy and I were so hard on you. But you shouldn t tell lies. I learned that lying makes things worse and you should always tell the truth. Now, will you please tell us the truth?"

"Okay, Daddy. I'll tell the truth," she replied sadly wiping the tears from her eyes. "I met Mister Honest John and Gideon, and they said Mister Stromboli was your friend and his puppet show was failing. Stromboli told me that he was sad because people didn't come to see it anymore. I only went there because I thought he was nice and I wanted to help him, like how you always help people that come to see you!"

When Annabelle spoke truthfully, she felt her nose tingling, and it slowly started to grow shorter. The leaves and flowers shriveled up and fell off, and the branches receded into her nose as it shrank until it had returned to its original size. She patted the tip a few times with her finger making sure every lie she told had all been redeemed. When Pinocchio heard her speak the truth, he realized she was only doing what she believed was the right thing, because he taught her to help anyone who asked for help. He put his daughter in danger by not warning her that not all people are good and can be trusted.

"I'm sorry, Annabelle! I should never have sent you off to school on your own. I should have told you about Stromboli and those cons!" He hugged her tightly and cried with tears leaks from his eyes.

"I'm sorry too, Daddy!" Annabelle cried and hugged him back.

Jiminy stood silently watching this moment between them and felt guilty for not being able to keep Annabelle from making the same mistake Pinocchio made. Figgy walked over to Figaro who had been watching the whole time and lowered her head.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you daddy and running away like that," she apologized. But to her surprise, Figaro smiled and licked her cheek.

"It s okay Figgy. I forgive you. What you did was very brave. I'm sorry for being rude to Annabelle. I guess I'm just a grumpy old cat." Pinocchio glanced over at Figaro nuzzling his kitten, and it made him smile knowing he wasn't the only one trying to be a good father.

"I'm going to put Annabelle to bed Jiminy. She's been through a lot today,"

"Okay, Pinoke. I'll wait here. Goodnight Annabelle."

"Goodnight Jiminy."

Pinocchio carried his daughter upstairs, and Figgy followed them. Annabelle put on her nightgown and climbed onto her bed with the kitten beside her.

"I'm sorry I was bad and didn't go to school," she sobbed as Pinocchio tucked her in.

"It wasn't all your fault princess," he told her sitting on the edge of the bed trying to comfort her. "I should have been a more responsible parent and escorted you myself. I never thought you'd meet those same bad people I met all those years ago. I was scared I'd lose you. But I promise I'll never let anyone take you again."

"Daddy? Stromboli said I couldn't be a real girl. Is that right?" she asked worrying about what Stromboli said after the show.

"No Annabelle! Don't you believe his lies! I was a puppet, and I became a real boy. And someday you'll be real too."

"I don't care if I never become a real girl. I just want to make you proud of me daddy."

"That's my girl," Pinocchio smiled and kissed her forehead. "I ll promise to try and be a better father. Goodnight, my little princess."

After he had left, Annabelle stayed awake for quite some time. She thought about everything she had done and rechecked her nose making sure it was truly back to normal.

"You alright Annabelle?" Figgy asked her.

"Yes, I'm alright. Thanks for saving me from Stromboli. That was very brave of you to come and help us."

"I'm just glad you re okay. I love you Annabelle, and I would be sad if anything happened to you."

"Aw! thanks, Figgy. I love you too. I'll try to do better from now on so I can make everyone proud of me." She cuddled up with Figgy and soon fell fast asleep in a matter of minutes. Pinocchio went downstairs and sat in the kitchen feeling guilty for what had happened.

"You alright Pinoke?" Asked Jiminy seeing his friend unhappy.

"I feel terrible Jiminy," Pinocchio replied sadly. "I made the same mistake my father made sending me off on my own. The same thing that happened to me happened to her. I feel irresponsible."

"Don't be so hard on yourself pal! Being a parent isn't the easiest job in the world. I m just as much to blame too. I should have persuaded her to go to school a lot better."

"What am I supposed to do Jiminy? Suppose she gets taken away to Pleasure Island or swallowed by another whale like Monstro? I'd hate for her to have to go through the same things I went through."

"Unfortunately Pinoke, she's going to make mistakes. All children go through their phases, and you won t be able to follow her around everywhere continuously."

"I wish there some way for her to walk around safely and not stray off." Just then Jiminy thought of something.

"I've got an idea! Can we ask that girl Alex she made friends with to accompany her? She seems like an intelligent and responsible girl. Maybe she can help keep Annabelle safe."

"That's an excellent idea Jiminy! I'll go visit Alex's mother tomorrow and talk to her about having Alex accompany Annabelle!"

"Sounds like a plan!" The two of them went to bed hoping their plan would keep Pinocchio's daughter from getting into any more trouble.

End of Chapter 8 


	9. Chapter 9 First day at School

Chapter 9 - Making a new friend

The next morning Annabelle was still sleeping in her bedroom exhausted from everything happened at the puppet show. Pinocchio decided it would be best if he kept her home until Stromboli, Honest, and Gideon were all arrested. The policemen from last night came to the shop and informed him that Stromboli was in jail, but Honest John and Gideon had escaped and left town to avoid being caught. Pinocchio was relieved knowing one of his enemies was in prison, but knowing Honest he and his partner would eventually come back. So he went to Annabelle s friend Alex's house to ask her mother to let Alex help him and Jiminy keep her safe. Shortly after he left, Annabelle finally woke up and came downstairs.

"Daddy? Jiminy where's daddy?" She asked looking around for him.

"Your dad left to go visit someone and said he'll be back later," Jiminy explained. "He also said that you're not allowed to leave the house until he returns."

"So I can't go to school today?"

"Not after what happened yesterday with Stromboli and those no-good swindlers."

"I'm sorry for not listening to you yesterday Jiminy. I should have gone to school like you told me." Annabelle frowned sadly.

"It's alright Annabelle, everyone makes mistakes. You just have to be careful of certain people. You can't always trust everyone."

"I will! I'm going to do better and make you and daddy proud of me!"

"Atta Girl! I'm glad to hear you say that."

Throughout the morning, Jiminy watched over Annabelle while she did a few chores Pinocchio had taught her and played with the cats. A few hours passed and Pinocchio finally came home.

"Hi, Annabelle! Someone's here to see you," He moved to one side and in walked her friend Alex.

"Alex!" Annabelle cheered with joy. She quickly ran on over and hugged her tightly.

"Hi, Annie! I'm glad to see you again!" said Alex happily.

"I missed you, Alex! I'm sorry I didn't come to school yesterday I got a little distracted."

"Your dad told my mom and me about what happened at the puppet show. That's why I'm here."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I spoke with Alex's mother and she agreed to let Alex accompany you when you go to school or walk around town," Pinocchio told her.

"But why daddy?"

"For your safety. Until I feel that I can trust you to be on your own, you are not to go anywhere without me, Jiminy, or Alex. Do you understand?"

"Yes, daddy. I understand " Annabelle felt a little disappointed that her father didn't trust her to be on her own.

"Don't worry Annie," Alex comforted her. "I'll make sure no one tries to take you to lure you away. Plus, we get to hang out more!"

"Okay, Alex. I like that." Annabelle smiled.

"I ll be with you as well," said Jiminy. "Someone has to keep an eye on you girls and make sure you both stay out of trouble. Not that I don't trust you, Alex."

"It's okay Jiminy. I make mistakes too sometimes. I'll do my best to help you guide Annie on the right path."

"Good to hear!"

Alex stayed at the house for the remainder of the day, and the girls played in Annabelle s room while she told her about how Honest and Gideon had tricked her into going to the puppet show and how her father, Jiminy, and little Figgy rescued her.

"I'm sorry what happened to you Annie," said Alex. "If I were with you yesterday those bad men wouldn't have lured you away."

"It's okay Alex," Annabelle replied. "I promised my daddy and Jiminy I'm going to do better and make them proud of me."

"Also I'll make sure your safe whenever you're walking around or going to school. That's what friends do!"

"Thanks, Alex." Annabelle leaned over and hugged her friend. She was so happy to have met such a kind-hearted and caring girl like her.

The next morning Annabelle was up and ready for her first proper day of school, and this time Jiminy woke up too and was ready to accompany her. After breakfast, there was a knock at the door, and Alex walked in, wearing a backpack and carrying a green book under her left arm.

"Good morning Annie! Ready for your first day of school?" She asked.

"Morning Alex! Sure am!" Annabelle greeted her friend with a hug which Alex realized that this might become the puppet s way of greeting her. "Ready when you are!"

"I'm coming too!" said Jiminy hopping onto Annabelle's shoulder.

"Now remember Annabelle," Pinocchio reminded her, "behave yourself and listen to Jiminy and the teacher. I'll come to get you after school is over, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy! I promise I'll do good and listen to Jiminy and the teacher!"

Annabelle hugged and kissed her father and started off to school with her friend. As the girls walked through the village together, Alex checked around making sure no one was following them. She then looked over at her friend who was skipping happily the way there.

"You sure are excited aren't about going school aren't you?" Alex said.

"I sure am, Alex," Annabelle replied.

"Are you nervous at all Annie?" Annabelle then stopped skipping.

"Nervous? Uh...no I'm not nervous." Annabelle replied trying to sound confident. But her nose sparkled and grew an inch making her shriek. She quickly threw up her hands trying to hide her nose hoping Alex hadn't seen what happened to it.

"Whoa, Annie! Your nose just grew!" She was bewildered by this strange situation.

"N-no it didn't! Nothing s wrong with my nose!" She blurted out nervously causing her nose to increase in length.

"Annabelle! Stop lying!" Jiminy shouted. "The more you lie, the more your nose will grow."

"Sorry, Jiminy I forgot." Annabelle calmed herself and turned to her friend. "Sorry Alex, I wasn't honest. I am a little nervous." Her nose returned to its normal size from telling the truth.

"Wow! So your nose grows whenever you tell a lie?" Alex giggled a little finding it rather silly. She knew her friend was a living puppet, but it seemed that it was the least strange thing about her.

"Yes. I m sorry about that." Annabelle replied patting the tip of her nose making sure it was back to normal.

"It's okay Annie," Alex put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Everyone gets nervous and fibs sometimes. Just try to be careful not to say the wrong thing when someone asks you something. Okay?"

"Okay," Annabelle replied with a smile.

"Good. Now come on we don't want to be late."

After a fun walk around the town and fields, the girls finally arrived at the school. It was a large brick building with windows and a bell tower. Inside were many wooden desks and chairs, bookshelves and a chalkboard at the front where the teacher sat. Annabelle and Alex watched as the other children entered the building. As they walked to the door, Jiminy stopped them.

"You girls better wait out here while I have a word with the teacher. I think they'd be a bit shocked to see that Annabelle's a living puppet."

"Okay, Jiminy. We'll wait here," said Alex holding Annabelle's hand.

The girls waited while Jiminy spoke to the school teacher. Annabelle felt a bit nervous about what Jiminy could be telling the teacher. She couldn t help but feel afraid the other students wouldn't like her because she wasn t a human like them.

"What if the other students don't like me, Alex?" Annabelle asked shivering with fear.

"Don't be silly! I'm sure they'll like you! Miss Lorraine is a very nice teacher and never judges people for being different."

The door opened, and Jiminy came out riding on the shoulder of Miss Lorraine. She was a lovely looking woman with green eyes and curly brown hair tied up in a bun and green eyes. She wore a black corset, a long gray skirt, and black pumps.

"Good morning Alex," she said then turned to Annabelle and smiled. "And you must be the puppet girl I've heard so much about! I'm Miss Lorraine. It s very nice to meet you! I m positive you will have a wonderful time here!" Annabelle was a bit shy at first, but the lady didn't seem bothered by her appearance.

"Y-yes ma'am," she answered nervously and curtseyed. "M-my name's A-Annabelle. This is for you." She opened her bag and gave her the apple Pinocchio gave her the day before.

"Aw, how thoughtful! Thank you," she said taking the apple from her. "Mr. Cricket here told me about you and I'm honored to have you as one of my new pupils."

"So you don't mind that I'm a wooden puppet?"

"Of course not dear! I would never judge anyone for being different whether they are an animal person or a puppet."

"See I told you she's nice," said Alex.

"Now come inside, and I'll introduce you to the class."

The girls followed her into the building. She asked Annabelle to wait until she was ready to present her to her classmates. Alex went into the classroom and sat down at her desk whilst Miss Lorraine took her place at the front desk.

"Alright, children please sit down!" She ordered tapping a wooden ruler on her desk. The children sat down and became silent. "Before we begin we have a new student joining us today. Now she's a bit different looking from you all, but I ask that you please be polite and treat her nicely. You may come in now dear!"

Annabelle walked into the classroom and stood beside the teacher's desk. The children were rather surprised to see that she was a living marionette that could move without strings. Annabelle felt even more nervous seeing everyone staring at her.

"Would you please introduce yourself to everyone?" asked Miss Lorraine.

"Um...hello everyone, my name is Annabelle," she said to the children. "I was built by my daddy and was brought to life by a Blue fairy lady. I hope we can all be friends." The children all stood up and greeted her.

"Welcome, Annabelle!" They replied and bowed then sat down again.

"Well, Annabelle we're happy to have you joining us! We also have another guest joining us."

"Hello children," said Jiminy jumping onto the teacher's desk and tipped his hat. "Cricket's the name. Jiminy Cricket. I'm small but knowledgeable, and I m also Annabelle s conscience. Now does anyone know what a conscience is?" A girl with brown hair raised her hand and stood up.

"A conscience is what tells you what is right and what is wrong." She answered.

"Correct young lady! It s my duty to help teach Annabelle and children like you the knowledge of right and wrong just as I taught her father and my good pal, Mr. Pinocchio, the toymaker."

"I had a feeling this puppet might be the creation of Mr. Pinocchio!" whispered a boy to his friend next to him. "That man makes amazing toys!"

"It's very nice to have you with us too, Mr. Cricket. If it's not too much trouble, could you assist me with teaching the class? But only if it s ok with you."

"Why I'd be honored ma'am." Said Jiminy proudly.

"Take your seat now Annabelle so we can begin."

"Okay Miss Lorraine." Annabelle found an empty seat that was right next to Alex and sat down. They were glad to be sitting next to each other.

"Alright children open your spelling books to page ten, and we shall begin today's lessons."

Annabelle, Alex, and the other kids opened their books as Miss Lorraine began teaching the basics of reading and counting. Though Annabelle was having trouble following along, Alex was given permission by the teacher to help her. Jiminy assisted the teacher by teaching them lessons he had learned while traveling the world instructing others and the children seemed to enjoy his stories of the places he had been. After a few hours, the bell rang, and the children gathered outside for a recess.

"Hey, Annabelle! You want to play ball with us?" Offered several of the younger children.

"Okay!"

"Can I play too?" asked Alex.

Sure!"

The girls took turns tossing a red ball back and forth with other students and were having a very good time. But then some of the older children came over and snatched the ball away.

"Alright you runts, clear out! It's our turn to play now!" said a scruffy-looking boy with dark hair accompanied by another boy with blond hair and a girl with pigtails.

"Hey, Andre! We were playing with that ball! Give it back!" cried Alex angrily. She attempted to take the ball back but to no avail.

"Sorry, four eyes it's ours now!" The boy stuck his foot out which caused Alex to trip over and her glasses fell off. Unable to see clearly she fumbled about feeling for them but the pigtailed girl snatched them up.

"Hey give me my glasses! I can't see without them!" The older kids just laughed and dangled them in front of her. Annabelle didn't like how these kids were treating her friend and walked up to them.

"Hey! Why are you so mean to Alex?" she asked them. "She can't see without her glasses so please give them back and our ball too!"

"Why should we listen to a wooden freak like you?"

"You shouldn't even be here! School is for real kids not walking talking puppets!"

Annabelle didn't understand why these children were treating her and her friend so awful. The things they said made her feel sad and a little angry too.

"Stop that right now, Andre!" shouted a voice. They all turned and saw a slender looking boy with buckteeth, pudgy cheeks, reddish-brown hair, and a pink button nose. He wore a big brown cap on his head, a red handkerchief around his neck, a white shirt, a black jacket, short brown trousers, and brown shoes. He appeared to be tall but not as tall as the bullies. "You jerks stop bullying these girls or I'm going to tell Miss Lorraine!"

To everyone's surprise, the bullies turned over the ball and Alex's glasses and ran away. This boy had made three older kids bigger than him back off without resorting to fighting them. He walked up to Annabelle and handed her the ball.

"Are you alright?" he asked politely with a smile.

"Yes, I'm alright thank you," Annabelle replied. He then turned to Alex and returned her glasses. When she put them on she recognized him.

"Oh Hi, Toby! I thought that was your voice!"

"No problem Alex," he said then turned to Annabelle again. "So you're Annabelle. My name's Tobias, but everyone calls me Toby."

"Nice to meet you, Toby," Annabelle replied shaking his hand. "Thank you for saving Alex and me from those mean students."

"No problem. Alex and I are close friends, and any friend of hers is a friend of mine." he smiled giving her wink. Annabelle felt a strange feeling in her wooden heart as the boy smiled at her. Alex could tell by the way she was staring at her friend that this was Annabelle's first time meeting a boy.

"Do you want to play with us, Toby?" Alex offered.

"Sure," Toby replied.

The three of them went back to the other children waiting patiently and continued their game. They played until the bell rang and the teacher called all back inside for lunch. Toby sat with Annabelle and Alex as they ate together and Jiminy hopped over to see what was going on.

"Hi, Jiminy! This is my new friend Toby," she introduced him to the boy.

When Jiminy looked at the young boy, he noticed that his face reminded him of someone, but he couldn t remember who it was.

"He saved us from some kids who were bullying us at recess," said Alex.

"Thanks, young man. I appreciate you looking out for Annabelle and her friends out there."

"You're welcome Mr. Cricket. I just can't stand seeing other kids get bullied by others. If Annabelle is Alex's friend, then she's my friend too."

"Hmm...I can't put my finger on it, but you remind of someone I met once a long time ago." Said Jiminy scratching his head trying to remember who this young boy looked like.

"Wait you say you met someone who looked like me! Was his name Lampwick?" Toby asked with surprise.

"Lampwick!" Jiminy cried out loud that everyone looked at him. "That's who you remind me of!"

"Who's Lampwick Jiminy?" Annabelle asked.

"He was a troublesome boy your father made friends with when Honest John and Gideon persuaded them to go to pleasure island. I told him that boy was no good and because of him your father nearly got turned into a donkey."

"You're saying my big brother got turned into a donkey?!"

"Wait! You're his brother!" Jiminy gasped.

"Yes. But I never met him. I was born five years after he ran away from home. My mama said he was a terrible kid always playing hooky from school and getting into trouble. But she still loved him despite how bad he was."

"Well, I certainly hope you're not a trouble maker like he was!"

"Toby's nothing like his brother Jiminy," Alex insisted.

"I'm a good son. I promised my mama I wouldn't get into any trouble like my no-good brother or play hooky from school."

"I believe your good Toby," said Annabelle.

"Gee thanks, Annabelle! That's very nice of you."

"Well alright. But we'll have to see what Mr. Pinocchio says first."

After lunch, Miss Lorraine continued teaching their final lessons for the day. Around three o clock, the bell rang, and the teacher dismissed the class. The children ran out of the building hurrying home to their parents who were waiting for them. Alex and Toby said goodbye to Annabelle and walked home together. Annabelle and Jiminy went outside to find Pinocchio waiting for them. Annabelle ran to her father and gave him a big hug.

"How was your first day of school Annabelle?" He asked.

"It was super fun daddy! I learned lots of new things, and I made a new friend too!"

"You did?"

"Uh-huh! He's a boy, and his name is Toby!"

"A boy!" When Pinocchio heard this, he looked at Jiminy.

"You won't believe this Pinoke. But the kid is the younger brother of your old pal Lampwick."

"Lampwick!" Pinocchio yelled remembering the boy he met on pleasure island who taught him how to be bad.

"But he's a good boy daddy! He saved Alex and me from some kids who were being mean to us!"

"Well, I'll have to meet him first and see if he's not like his brother. If he's good, then that s fine with me.

"Okay, daddy."

"Come on! Let's all go home and celebrate Annabelle's first successful day of school," Jiminy insisted.

With that Pinocchio started walking his family home. Though he was glad Annabelle enjoyed her first day of school, he was a bit concerned about her making friends with a boy who just so happened to be the brother of Lampwick. He hoped he truly wasn't like his older brother.


	10. Chapter 10 Meeting Lampwick's family

Chapter 10 - Meeting Lampwick's family

Annabelle's first day of school had gone well, and she had made a new friend named Tobias. But Pinocchio, however, was cornered because the boy she befriended was the younger sibling of his old friend Lampwick, whom he met on pleasure island when he was a puppet. Though Annabelle told him he was kind and stood up to some mean kids at school, Pinocchio didn't trust the candlewick family and wanted to be sure their new son wasn't a bad influence like his brother. After dinner that evening, Pinocchio and Jiminy told Annabelle the story of how they met Lampwick and what happened to them on the island. Pinocchio then asked her to bring the boy to the shop after school so he could meet him and see if he was trustworthy. Before going to bed, Annabelle had something she wanted to ask her father.

"Hey, Daddy? if I do bad things, then will I turn into a donkey like you and Lampwick?" She asked worryingly.

"No, My little wooden princess. As long as you behave yourself and stay away from pleasure island," Pinocchio assured her.

"I never want to go there! And Toby is a not bad boy like your friend mister Lampwick was! I'm being honest!"

"It's not that I don't believe you, Annabelle. I don't trust his mother and father. They might be neglectful parents because of how Lampwick was. Now it's time for you to go to bed. We'll discuss this tomorrow when Toby comes over."

"Okay. Goodnight." Annabelle picked up Figgy and went upstairs to her room. Pinocchio hoped he hadn't scared her by telling her about the donkey transformation. Before going to bed, Pinocchio and Jiminy sat in the living and Jiminy noticed Pinocchio looked a bit sad.

"What's wrong, Pinoke?" He asked.

"I was just thinking about Lampwick," Pinocchio replied. "I know he was bad, but I still thought of him as a friend. After I became a real boy, I sometimes dreamt about being on the island and watching him turning into a donkey. I wish I could have helped him and the other boys. They didn't deserve such a cruel fate!"

"I understand how you feel Pinoke. I'll never forget the screams of those poor helpless donkeys. That evil coachman and those swindlers lured those kids away from their families and made jackasses out of them. But they chose to go there, and they paid for their bad behavior."

"I hope Annabelle never ends up going to that terrible place, Jiminy," Pinocchio quivered at that thought of his daughter turning into a donkey. "I certainly hope Lampwick's brother isn't a bad influence like he was."

"Don't you worry about that!" Jiminy assured him. "Alex and I will make sure she never goes there! As for Toby, I met him yesterday and he seemed like a good kid. Just because his brother was a hooligan doesn't mean his whole family is bad."

"Your right, Jiminy. Father always told me that I shouldn't judge people before I know who they are. I suppose I'm just being overprotective of Annabelle."

"Give the boy a chance when he comes over tomorrow. Everything will be all right." Pinocchio felt better after hearing Jiminy encouraging words and the two of them went to bed.

The next morning when Alex came to escort Annabelle to school. On the way, Jiminy explained to Alex everything he and Pinocchio told Annabelle about Lampwick and the island and why Pinocchio wanted to meet Tobias.

"Wow! An island that turns bad kids into donkeys!" Alex exclaimed. "That sounds awful! I never knew such a place existed! I hate to end up going there!"

"Me too, Alex," Annabelle agreed with her. "That's why daddy wants to meet Toby because he thinks he and his family might be bad like mister Lampwick."

"I promise that Toby and his family aren't bad people," Alex insisted. "My mom knows them well and she said the candlewicks are a decent family. It was just Toby's brother who was bad."

"I believe what you say, Alexandra," said Jiminy. "Pinocchio just wants to make sure Tobias is trustworthy. Once he sees how good he is, I'm sure he'll let Annabelle be friends with him." Alex hoped Annabelle's dad would give Toby a chance when he met him. When they arrived at school, the girls met with Toby and explained to him that Pinocchio wanted to meet him. Since Annabelle's father was an old friend of his brother, Toby agreed to come to their house. When school ended, the girls and the cricket took him to the workshop. However, Toby started to worry that Pinocchio wouldn't like him because of who his brother was. But Annabelle assured him her father was very kind and would like him.

"I'm home!" Annabelle called as she opened the door and walked in. Little Figgy ran to her and she scooped her up. "This is Figgy my kitty." She introduced her new friend to the kitten.

"She's cute, Annabelle," said Toby petting Figgy s head. "I have a puppy at home named Ollie." But when Figgy heard this she became nervous and jumped out of Annabelle s arms.

"What's wrong with Figgy?" Annabelle wondered why the kitten was so frightened.

"She must have got scared because Toby said he had a dog," said Alex. "Cats are afraid of dogs because they don't always get along."

"Aw, poor Figgy. Maybe if she met Ollie then she could make friends with him and get over her fear," Annabelle thought. Soon, Pinocchio walked into the room and saw Toby. He was surprised that he looked quite similar to Lampwick besides his face looking a little different. Pinocchio invited him into the living room with the girls, made some tea and snacks for them then sat down to talk.

"So you're the young man who defended for my Annabelle at school yesterday?" He asked calmly.

"That's right, Mister Pinocchio, Sir," Toby replied. "Andre and his friends Thomas and Melissa were giving Annabelle and Alex a hard time, so I stepped in and told them to back off."

"That was very kind of you, Toby. I'm very grateful to you for doing that." Pinocchio gave the boy a trusting smile. Toby felt relieved that Pinocchio was grateful to him for sicking up for Annabelle.

"No problem, sir. By the way! Mister Jiminy said you were friends with my brother Lampwick and that he got turned into a donkey. Is that right?"

"Yes. I saw it with my own eyes, and when it started to happen to me, Jiminy and I drove into the sea and swam back to shore."

"What happened to Toby's brother and the other kids?" Alex asked.

"From what I saw, the coachmen and his men were loading the donkeys into crates and shipping them off to salt mines and circuses," said Jiminy telling his side of the story. "When I heard the donkeys talking and crying, I realized these donkeys were the boys that accompanied Pinocchio and Lampwick to the island and ran back to warn them. However when I got there, Lampwick was already changed, and Pinocchio had grown donkey ears and a tail."

"That's awful!" cried Alex.

"So the moral of this story is that if a stranger invites you to a place called Pleasure Island then don't go with them. Those boys were lured away, and because they misbehaved and gave into temptations. They suffered the consequences of their actions."

"That's why I wanted to meet you, Toby," said Pinocchio. "I was afraid that if you're related to Lampwick, you might be like him and I don't want anyone to be a bad influence on my daughter."

"I swear, Mr. Pinocchio, I'm not bad like my good for nothing brother! That renegade ran away and broke our mom's heart!" he said angrily. "Everyone thinks because I look like him I'm going to turn out like him someday. But I promised my mama and papa I wouldn't misbehave like him and be a good boy."

"He's telling the truth, !" Alex spoke up. "And his parents are good people too! My mom and I have been friends with them for a long time and they are trustworthy people." Hearing his Pinocchio looked at the boy and smiled.

"Alright, Toby. I'll let you be friends with Annabelle as long as you promise to help teach her to do right."

"Yes, sir. I promise." Toby stood up and nodded.

"Yeah!" Annabelle shouted and gave him a hug. Toby was surprised by this unexpected show of affection and started to blush. Alex smiled and giggled.

"That s her way so showing that she likes you," she explained then turned to Pinocchio and Jiminy. "Thank you for giving Toby a chance, Mister Pinocchio."

"You're welcome, Alex. I'm sorry for not trusting of him and family." Pinocchio apologized. "I'm just looking out for my daughter."

"Hey, I just got an idea, Annabelle!" said Toby. "Why don't you and your dad come to my house for dinner tomorrow? I'm sure my mama and papa would like to meet you."

"That's an excellent idea, Toby!" Annabelle said with excitement. "Can we Daddy, can we?"

"Of course we can go, Princess?" Pinocchio agreed. Jiminy then realized something that concerned him.

"You know, Pinoko, Lampwick's parents will probably ask you what happened to their son all those years ago!"

"My Mama said Lampwick might have been a terrible son, Mr. Pinocchio, but she still loves him and she believes he might come home someday," Toby explained.

"Then I should tell her and her husband what happened to him. I think it's what my old pal would have wanted." After the conversation had ended, the girls took Toby outside. They talked and played until it was time for Alex and Toby to go home and Annabelle and her family to have dinner.

At school the next day, Toby told Annabelle his mother and father said they be delighted to have them over for dinner since they knew Lampwick. Alex told them she couldn't come because her mother had to work late at her job and she needed her help. Later that evening, Pinocchio had learned from one of his friends where the Candlewicks lived and took Annabelle and Jiminy to the house to meet them. Annabelle brought Figgy along so she could meet Toby's little puppy though she was nervous about meeting a dog but tried to be brave.

"So you've never been to Lampwick's house daddy?" Asked Annabelle holding his hand as they walked together.

"I only met him on the Coachmen's carriage that took us to pleasure island. Though I'm a bit nervous about telling his mother that her son turned into a donkey." Pinocchio explained.

"She and her husband deserve to know the truth about him Pinoke," Jiminy insisted. "Besides, they haven't heard from him in over fifteen years!"

"Yes. You're right, Jiminy." Pinocchio wasn't sure how Lampwick's parents would react when he told them about their son's fate. After walking through the village, they arrived at Toby's house. It was an old-looking stone building with two floors, a wooden door and two windows on each floor. Pinocchio knocked on the door, and they heard a small dog barking on the other side. Figgy got scared and tried to wiggle free, but Annabelle had a tight hold on her. The door opened, and Toby stood in the doorway. At his feet was a little puppy with light brownish fur, dark brown spots on his back and face, floppy ears, green eyes, a short tail and a red collar around his neck.

"Welcome to our house, Mister Pinocchio, and Annabelle!" he greeted them and picked up the little dog. "This is my puppy, Ollie."

"Aw, he's cute!" Annabelle reached out and patted the pup's head. "Hello, Ollie! I'm Annabelle and this is my kitty Figgy!"

"Ruff! Nice to meet you Annabelle and you too Figgy." she heard him speak.

"You don't chase cats do you do?" Figgy asked nervously.

"Nah! I like cats, and I wouldn't chase a beautiful kitty like you." Figgy blushed at the puppy's nice compliment.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you, Toby. I can hear animals talk," Annabelle told him.

"Really? What did Ollie say to Figgy then?" Toby asked curiously.

"He told her that he likes cats and that she's a beautiful kitty."

"Good boy Ollie!" He rubbed the puppy's head and sat him down. He then led the guests into the living room. Pinocchio couldn't believe he was now standing in his old friend's house. Annabelle set Figgy on the floor with Ollie and Toby's mother entered the room. She was a tall and thin woman with blue eyes and short reddish-brown hair and freckles on her face. She wore a green blouse and a long green dress with a white apron and black shoes.

"You must be Pinocchio, the son of the old woodcarver Geppetto. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Mrs. Claudia Candlewick," she said in a kindly manner. Pinocchio stood up and shook her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too Mrs. Candlewick. This my daughter Annabelle."

"Pleased to meet you Toby's mommy," Annabelle curtsied and shook her hand. She didn't seem surprised by the fact that Pinocchio's daughter was a living puppet.

"Cricket's my name ma'am. But you can call me Jiminy," said Jiminy tipping his hat.

"It's very nice to meet all of you. We're delighted to have you join us for dinner. Please come into the kitchen and help yourselves." They followed her into the kitchen were sitting at the table was her husband. He was a tall thin man like his wife with reddish-brown hair, with a mustache and beard. He wore a white long-sleeved shirt with a brown vest, tan trousers, and brown buckled boots.

"This is my papa," Toby introduced his father. The man stood up and walked up to Pinocchio and Annabelle.

"Pleasure to meet you and your daughter, Mister Pinocchio," said the man. "I'm Mister Roman Candlewick. It's great to finally meet the son of the old woodcarver, Geppetto."

"It's good to meet you too, Mister Roman, Sir," Pinocchio smiled and shook his hand. Annabelle then introduced herself and curtsied.

"By the way, my son, tells me you knew my mischievous other son. Do you know what happened to him?" Pinocchio became nervous when Lampwick's father asked this question, but before he could answer, Claudia grabbed his shoulder.

"Not right now, dear," she insisted. "Let's all sit down and eat, then we'll talk about it." Everyone sat down at the table and beheld a huge feast. There was chicken, ham, roast beef, corn, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots, and apple pie. Pinocchio and Jiminy were very surprised by this sumptuous dinner she had prepared for them. They all sat down and started eating together.

"This is a lovely dinner, Miss Claudia," said Pinocchio kindly. "But don't you think its a little too much food?"

"I may have gone a little overboard, but I just love to prepare lovely meals for my guests," Claudia replied with a chuckle. Everyone eminently started eating accept for Annabelle.

"Hey, aren't you hungry, Annabelle?" asked Toby noticing that she barely touched anything.

"Yuck! I don't like meaty foods made from animals!" Annabelle replied looking disgusted at the food on the table.

"Annabelle! That's rude!" Pinocchio scolded her. "Miss Claudia went through all this trouble of making dinner for us! Now please eat something!"

"No, no! It's alright, Pinocchio dear," said . She stood up and gave Annabelle a plate with carrots, and sliced pieces of an apple. "Here you are little one will this do?"

"Thank you Miss Claudia. I'm sorry for being rude and saying your food was yucky." Annabelle apologized but the women didn't seem to offend at all.

"I guess Annabelle's vegetarian Pinoke," Jiminy said stuffing an olive into his mouth.

"How is Annabelle able to eat ? Toby asked curiously. "Isn't she a puppet?"

"Yes. But Annabelle is a unique puppet, Toby," Pinocchio told him. "She was brought to life by a fairy who also brought me to life when I was a puppet like her. That's when I met your brother Lampwick after escaping from a greedy puppet master named Stromboli."

"You were a puppet too?!" Toby was surprised by what Pinocchio had said. "Now I understand why you thought I might be a bad influence like my brother."

"It's alright Toby. I know you are not like him, and I truly appreciate what you did for Annabelle at school yesterday." Pinocchio said kindly. After dinner, everyone went into the living room. Annabelle and Toby played with Figgy and Ollie while Pinocchio and Jiminy talked with Roman and Claudia.

"So Pinocchio, our son told you knew my other son that ran away. My husband I haven't heard from him in over fifteen years. Do you know what happened to him?" Claudia asked. Pinocchio dreaded telling Lampwick's parents what happened to their troublesome son, but he knew he had to do it. So he and Jiminy explained everything about what occurred on the island. There was a moment of silence as was frozen with shock. "Oh no... That's terrible! My poor son!" Claudia said in shock and cried many tears.

"There, there, my dear," Mister Candlewick put his arms around his wife and did his best to comfort her. Pinocchio felt terribly ashamed for giving them this terrible news.

"I'm very sorry Mr. and Mrs. Candlewick...There was nothing I could do to help him," Pinocchio admitted. "When it started happening to me, I got scared, and when Jiminy came back, we ran for our lives."

"If I hadn't gotten Pinocchio out of there he would have turned into a donkey like your son and all the other boys," said Jiminy.

"Oh, so you turned out ok but not my son?! How could you just leave him like that?! And what about those other boys! What about their mothers!?" Claudia shouted angrily which lead to her crying more.

"Claudia! Please calm down! You can't blame Pinocchio for what happened to Lucignolo," Roman insisted. Feeling terrible, Pinocchio wanted to speak up but Jiminy advised not to say anything.

"It s ok, Pinoke. Anger makes us say things we don t really mean."

"But Jiminy I should have gone back and saved him " Claudia calmed down a little noticing the look of guilt on Pinocchio s face.

"I m sorry I understand that it wasn't your fault. I always told that boy he'd make a jackass of himself one day, but he didn't listen to me. Now that I know he's never coming back, Roman and I will have to move on and raise our other son to be a better person."

"You see what happens Tobias to children who play hooky from school and are disobedient?" said Roman looking at his son.

"Y-yes Papa," Toby replied nervously. "I don't want to be a jackass like Lampy was!"

"Toby seems like a good kid Mr. & ," said Jiminy, "I wouldn't worry about him."

"Unfortunately I do worry about him. I've already lost one son, and I can't bear the thought of losing another. So far he's stayed out of trouble. But I m always afraid that one day he'll stop listening and run away as his brother did..." said Claudia.

"Well, ma'am. I'm an official certified conscience, and it's my job to make sure children behave and don't fall to the lure of temptations. So if you'd like, I'll keep an eye on him for you."

"You would?" Claudia asked.

"Of course! You shouldn t have to spend the rest of your life worrying. Nobody deserves to ever feel that way. I promise I ll help out Toby the best I can should anything go wrong."

"That's very kind of you . Thank you. I hope my son and Pinocchio's daughter become good friends."

"We sure will, Miss Claudia!" said Annabelle smiling at Toby. The boy stared back at her and smiled too. A few hours later it was starting to get dark, so Pinocchio decided it was time to go. He thanked Toby's mother for the food and started walking his family home.

"That was some dinner wasn't it, Jiminy?" said Pinocchio.

"Sure was Pinoke! I'm so full I don't think I could eat for a week!" Jiminy agreed.

"Toby's parents were very nice daddy," said Annabelle's carrying little figgy who enjoyed playing with the puppy. "Can we visit them again sometime?"

"Sure we can princess. I only hope Toby keeps his word and doesn't turn out like his brother. Especially for his mom's sake."

"I think that kid will be fine, Pinoke," Jiminy assured him. "I'll make sure he stays on the straight and narrow path."

"Thanks, Jiminy. I'm sure his parents will appreciate that. You truly are a friend to many."

"It's my job, Pinoke. And a conscience job is never done!" Pinocchio was glad to have Jiminy back, and he hoped he could keep Annabelle and her friends safe and make sure they didn't get into trouble.

End of Chapter 10 


	11. Chapter 11 Trouble in school

Chapter 11 - Trouble in school

Three weeks had passed since Annabelle started going to school and she was doing very well. She always paid attention to Miss Lorraine's lessons and the school teacher would often visit to help tutor her the puppet girl on how to read and spell. Annabelle also got along with her classmates and some days when after school, they would come to the workshop to see her dad make new toys for them to play with. Pinocchio and Jiminy were both glad that Annabelle was getting along with the other children and that they accepted her despite being different looking from them and were grateful to Miss Lorraine for tutoring her. On a Friday afternoon when Pinocchio walked Annabelle home through the town, she pointed to some signs on a few of the shops as they passed by.

"That sign says Barkery, Daddy," said Annabelle knowingly. "And those say, Butcher and Tailor."

"Excellent Annabelle! Your learning to read very well," said Pinocchio amazed by how well she had learned to read after only three weeks of school.

"Yes. Alex and Miss Lorraine have been teaching me how to read and spell. And if someone is mean to me, Toby makes them leave me alone. He's a nice boy."

"That's wonderful! My little wooden princess is getting smarter every day." Pinocchio was glad that Jiminy's plan of having Alex companying Annabelle was keeping her out of trouble and that Lampwick's brother was keeping her safe from bullies.

"Don't forget, Annabelle," Jiminy reminded her. "There's going to be a spelling test on Monday, so you'll have to study a little over the weekend."

"Yes, Jiminy," Annabelle nodded in reply. "I'll study hard so I can pass the test and show you and daddy how smart I am."

"I'm sure you'll do just fine princess," said Pinocchio smiling proudly. "I had to take spelling tests when I was a boy. And I always did pretty well. If you pass your test, I'll do something special for you."

"Oh boy! That sounds great, daddy!" Annabelle shouted with excitement and hugged her father. "I promise I'll do my very best!" When they got home, Annabelle imminently went upstairs to her room and started reading her spelling book. Figgy entered the room, jumped onto the bed, and leaned her head over trying to see what she was doing.

"What are you reading Annabelle?" asked the kitten curiously.

"I'm reading my spelling books, Figgy," Annabelle replied and showed her the book filled letters and words. But the kitten didn't know how to read.

"Can we go play outside?" Figgy asked.

"I'd love to, Figgy, but can't right now. I have to study so I can pass the spelling test at school on Monday."

"Oh. Okay..." The kitten frowned in disappointment and lowered her head.

"Aw, what's wrong Figgy? Why are you sad?" Annabelle picked up the kitten, laid her in her lap and petted her head trying to cheer her up.

"I've just been lonely since you started going to school every morning," said the kitten sadly."Every day I wait for you to come home so we can play, but you're either reading your books or playing with the kids who come to visit us." Annabelle felt sad hearing this. She had so busy trying to do good in school and playing with her classmates she didn't realize she hadn't been giving her kitten as much attention as she used to.

"I'm sorry, Figgy. I've been so busy learning and making friends I guess I forgot about you. I wish I knew how to make it up to you." Just then, the kitten thought of an idea.

"I know, Annabelle! How about I come to school with you? I've always wanted to see what this school place is like."

"I don't know, Figgy. Miss Lorraine said we're not allowed to bring pets to school! If she finds out I brought you I could get in trouble!"

"You won't get in trouble! I promise! Please, Annabelle! Pretty Please!" The kitten pleaded while standing on her hind legs and rested her front paws on the puppet girl's chest. Annabelle didn't want to get in trouble, but she hated seeing the kitten so sad.

"Well...Okay, I'll think of some way to bring you," she finally agreed and gave her a pat on the head. Just then, Figaro crept into the room.

"Figgy! Don't be bothering Annabelle! She's supposed to be studying!" Figaro said in a stern voice.

"I'm not bothering her, dad!" Figgy replied. "I was just...trying to help her study." Figaro was a bit suspicious but didn't think anything of it and went back downstairs. Both the puppet and the kitten sighed with relief.

"Hehe! Good thing your nose doesn't grow when you lie Figgy." Annabelle whispered with a giggle. Figgy curled up in her lap and waited for her to finish studying so they could play. When Alex came over to visit the next day, Annabelle told her Figgy wanted to go to school with her and that she planned to sneak her in on Monday.

"You crazy, Annie?!" Alex exclaimed. "You can't bring your kitten to school! You'll get in trouble!"

"But Figgy wants to comes with me, Alex!" Annabelle explained. "She misses me when I'm at school, and I didn't want to say no and make her sad."

"I understand, But what if you get caught? Miss Lorraine will be mad, and she might expel you from school!"

"What does expel mean?"

"It means you won't be allowed to come to school anymore!" Hearing this made Annabelle worried, but she noticed Figgy was listening and looked sad again and tried to think of a plan.

"I have an idea, Alex! I'll keep her hidden in my bag, then Miss Lorraine won't see her and I won't get in trouble! Just promise you won't tell anyone. Ok?"

"Well...Alright, Annie. I won't say anything. But I still think this a bad idea." Figgy then walked up to Alex, meowed happily and the girl gave the kitten a little pat on the head.

On Monday morning after breakfast, Figgy crawled into Annabelle s backpack as she was getting ready to leave. Once she was inside, Annabelle managed to sneak her out of the house without Pinocchio finding out. Luckily, Jiminy wouldn't be accompanying her because it was his day off to assist Pinocchio with running the shop. Outside, Alex was waiting for them and they started walked to school together. Along the way, Annabelle felt the kitten wiggling around in her bag and meowing loudly.

"Annabelle! I can hardly breathe in here! And it's very uncomfortable too!" The kitten complained.

"Be quiet, Figgy!" Annabelle told her. "We're almost there! But You have to keep still and quiet, or we'll get caught!"

"Maybe you shouldn't have brought her along, Annie," said Alex worryingly. "If Miss Lorraine finds out she'll get mad, and I don't want you to get in trouble."

"I won't get in trouble, Alex. I promise," Annabelle said confidently. As they approached the school building, they heard the teacher screaming and shouting and wondered what was going on. They ran over and saw Miss Lorraine holding a broomstick in her hand and looked angry and a bit frightened.

"What happened Miss Lorraine? What were you yelling about?" Alex asked.

"Sorry girls. There was a big disgusting rat in the classroom and I chased it out. That filthy rodent's been sneaking in here for the past two weeks looking for food. I can't stand animals at my school house! Especially rats! Oooh!" Annabelle got nervous when she said she didn't like having animals in school.

"Maybe you should consider getting yourself a cat to keep the rats out," Alex suggested. But then Figgy suddenly let out a tiny meow.

"What was that?" Miss Lorraine asked looking around. The girls froze with fear and looked at each other. Annabelle was about to say something until Alex quickly spoke up.

"Huh...It was probably just a stray cat wandering around!"

"Hmm...It probably was. Come inside now you two." Annabelle was glad Alex made an excuse for her. She knew if she had lied her nose would grow and the teacher would become suspicious and discover she brought the kitten. She walked into the classroom and laid her bag in the back room closet where all the other kids kept theirs, and the kitten poked her head out gasping for air.

"Do I have to stay in here the whole time?" The kitten asked.

"Yes you do," Annabelle whispered. "Now just keep quiet and don't make a sound. I'll bring you some food later, okay?"

"Alright. I'll be as quiet as a mouse." She winked her eye and ducked back inside the bag. Annabelle left her and sat at her desk relieved she had managed to sneak Figgy in without getting caught. The room fell silent as Miss Lorraine stood up from her desk and everyone focused on her.

"Alright, children. I would like to remind you that we will be having a spelling test today, so I hope you all studied carefully over the weekend. Now let us begin our morning lessons." Time passed and everything was silent in the classroom. Figgy laid sleeping in the closet not making a sound. The teacher then started handing out sheets of paper giving one to each child.

"It's time for the spelling test, Annie," Alex whispered. "You sure you're ready?"

"Sure I am!" Annabelle replied with a confident smile. "I studied all weekend preparing for it. I'll do my best." The test began and Annabelle started reading the questions on her paper and began writing her answers on it. Back in the closet, Figgy poked her head out from and watched Annabelle and other children sitting at their desks.

"So this is what school is like?" said the curiously little kitten. Suddenly her pointy ears picked up the sound of scurrying. She turned her head and spotted a large rat with big red eyes, sharp teeth, mangy black fur, and a long skinny tail under Miss Lorraine's desk. Figgy remembered Figaro had told her that rats were dirty and nasty rodents that sneak into houses and steal food and sometimes bite small children. It was probably the same one that the teacher chased out before and somehow it managed to sneak in again without her or the students noticing.

"Hehe! Perfect!" The kitten heard the rat speaking. "While the woman and the kids are busy, I'll steal all their food!" Figgy ran out of the closet and hid behind a shelf as the rat scurried across the floor unnoticed towards the closet. She couldn't let him take everyone's food. She laid still and remained quiet as the rat crept into the closet and sniffed around. It crawled over to Toby's backpack, climbed inside and found a bag of cookies Claudia packed for him. Figgy quietly crawled out from her hiding place and crept over to Toby's bag. She looked inside and saw the rat nibbling on a cookie.

"Hold it right there!" She growled and hissed at it. "That's not your food!" The rat looked up and saw the kitten looking at it with angry eyes, and growling viciously.

"A CAT!" It shouted letting out a loud squeaky shriek.

"What was that?" Said one of the children. Everyone stopped what they were doing and listened again. Suddenly, Figgy let out an angry meow and pounced on the rat. It jumped out of the closet and scurried across the floor squealing in fear. The kitten gave chase growling and hissing. She chased it all around the classroom and under the desks. Some of the children began to scream and jumped out of their seats as the animals scurried under them.

"Figgy! No! Stop!" Annabelle shouted. But the kitten was too focused on pursuing the rat to hear her. They both leaped onto the teacher's desk making her jump out of her chair.

"EEEEEKKKK! It's that rat again!" Miss Loraine shrieked loudly. Figgy continued chasing the rat when suddenly it turned around and scratched her with its claws. But this only made the kitten angrier as she sunk her fangs into its tail, lifted it up and tossed it across the room and into a corner. It squealed and scurried away. Figgy started chasing it again, but the rat managed to escape by slipping through a crack in the door and was gone.

"Darn! It got away!" Figgy groaned. "Maybe he'll think twice before coming back here again." When the chaos was over and everyone had calmed down, Annabelle ran over to the kitten and snatched her up.

"Figgy! What were you doing?" She asked angrily.

"Chasing that rat away Annabelle. It was going to steal your lunch and everyone else's." The kitten explained.

"Annabelle! Is that your cat?" Annabelle turned around and saw the teacher and the other children staring at her.

"Uh oh!" She said nervously realizing she had been found out.

"I asked you if that kitten is yours!" Miss Lorraine demanded in a stern voice.

"Y-yes ma'am," she replied.

"You know you re not supposed to bring pets to school! So explain why you brought it here!" Annabelle didn't know what to say. It was just like when her father asked her why she went to Stromboli's puppet show and she couldn't bring herself to tell the truth.

"Annie, please answer her," Alex pleaded.

"I...I...I had to bring her Miss Lorraine!" Annabelle replied anxiously. "Because...uh...there were these big scary monsters with big red eyes and big teeth!" Annabelle started to lie, and when did her nose sparkled and grew a few inches. The teacher and the other children gasped when they saw her nose grow.

"Oh no!" Alex said worryingly.

"Did you guys see that? Her nose grew!" A boy shouted. The teacher stared curiously at the puppet girl's nose and thought perhaps that she wasn't honest.

"Monsters, you say?" She asked suspiciously.

"Y-yes! And, uh...they said they wanted to eat her up!" Annabelle lied again, and her nose gained a few more inches with a little green leaf popping up. The other kids found this funny and giggled.

"You don't say!" Said Miss Lorraine acting as if she believed her even though she was sure she was lying.

"So I brought her here to keep her safe. But one of the monsters turned into a rat and followed us here!" Annabelle's nose grew more and more with every excuse she made, and it started sprouting small branches with leaves and flowers again like before.

"Look at her nose! It's turning into a tree!" Shouted Andre and all the other kids started laughing hysterically. Annabelle felt so embarrassed by her goofy-looking nose and everyone laughing at it. Even Toby was laughing with them. Seeing her friend's humiliation, Alex became furious and wanted to put a stop to this.

"STOP LAUGHING AT HER!" She shouted loudly, and everyone stopped laughing and stared at her. "You should be ashamed for making fun of her! How would you all feel if your noses grew when you lied?" She walked over to Annabelle who looked like she was about to cry. "Annie, please tell Miss Lorraine the truth."

"I can't Alex! Annabelle replied clutching the kitten tightly in her arms. "I'll get in trouble!"

"But you're already in trouble. And you'll be in more trouble if you don't come clean."

"Alex is right, Annabelle!" Said little Figgy. "You don't have to lie to protect me! I shouldn't have persuaded you to bring me here, and I don't want you to get in trouble because of me." Annabelle glanced her eyes down at the kitten and could see tears leaking from her eyes. She took a deep breath and looked at the teacher.

"Miss Lorraine! Everything I said was a lie! I brought Figgy to school because she missed me every day when I came here, and I didn't want her to be sad!" Annabelle started to cry as she told the truth. Her nose began to shrink, and the leaves and flowers fell off until it finally returned to its normal size. Annabelle turned and threw herself into Alex's arms. She knew would surely be punished for lying and bringing the kitten to school.

"Please don't expel her Miss Lorraine! I told her she shouldn't bring her kitty to school but I let her do it and I promised not to tell." Alex pleaded.

"Expel her! Why would I do that?" said the teacher. The girls were surprised that she wasn't angry anymore. She kneeled down and next to Annabelle and put her hand on her shoulder. "Annabelle, I completely understand. I had a kitten when I was little, and it was very attached to me too. And your little Figgy did a good job getting rid of that pesky rat. So I won't punish you. Instead, I'll let you bring her to school."

"Really?" Annabelle said happily.

"On the condition that she doesn't disrupt class again and she keeps the rats out of my school."

"Oh, Thank you, Miss Lorraine!" Miss Lorraine smiled kindly and patted the kitten's head.

"Also, no more fibbing understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." Lorraine then turned to the rest of the class and gave them a disappointing look.

"I'm very disappointed in all of you! I want you all to apologize to Annabelle for laughing at her!" Toby felt terribly guilty and walked over to the girls.

"I'm sorry for laughing at you Annabelle," he said bowing his head. "I hope you can forgive me."

"It's alright Toby I forgive you." Annabelle then gave him a friendly hug.

"We're all sorry Annabelle." One of the students stepped forward and spoke for the others.

"Let this be a lesson, children! Telling lies will only get you in more trouble! Now let's forget this incident happened and continue with our spelling test." Everyone returned to their desks and Figgy sat on Miss Lorraine's desk while the children finished writing their papers. She thanked her for chasing the rat away and patted her on her head. When school was over, Pinocchio came in and the teacher told him everything that happened. He gave both Annabelle and Figgy an angry look.

"Annabelle! I can't believe you sneaked Figgy out of the house and lied about why you brought her in the first place!" he scolded her.

"I'm sorry for bringing Figgy to school and lying again, daddy," Annabelle said bowing her head shamefully. Figgy let out a soft meow and bowed her head as well.

"Don't be too angry, Mister Pinocchio," said Miss Lorraine. "Your daughter's cat did help me with my rat problem. She is allowed to bring her kitty in as long as you re ok with it? It would do wonders for my rat problem." Pinocchio looked at his daughter and smiled.

"Alright. I'll forgive this time, young lady. But no more lying and doing stuff like this again or I'll have to punish you. Understand?"

"Yes, daddy." She walked over and hugged her father. Figgy meowed and rubbed herself against Pinocchio's legs.

"You're lucky your father and I are forgiving people Annabelle," Said Miss Lorraine. "I should give you detention, but since your kitten got rid of that rat, I'll let you off this time."

"Thank you, Miss Lorraine! You're an excellent teacher!" Annabelle smiled a the teacher. She was overjoyed that now she could bring Figgy to school and the kitten wouldn't have to wait at home anymore. Pinocchio was still a little upset with her though and hoped she learned she didn't try to be sneaky and get into any more trouble.

End of Chapter 11 


	12. Chapter 12 Dinner with Juliana

Chapter 12 - Dinner with Juliana

It was another beautiful sunny day in the village. Annabelle woke up early, got dressed and came downstairs where Pinocchio and Jiminy were waiting for her.

"Morning Daddy and Jiminy," she greeted them cheerfully.

"Morning Annabelle!" Jiminy replied.

"Morning princess! Before we have breakfast would you come into the workshop first?" She followed Pinocchio into the workshop and he picked her up and sat her on the edge of the workbench.

"What's wrong Daddy? Am I in trouble?" Annabelle asked worryingly.

"No, Annabelle, you're not in trouble. I just want to give you a quick check-up."

"A check-up? What's does that mean?"

"You've been alive for four weeks so you're a now month old. That's longer than when I was a puppet. So, I want to make sure your body is in good working condition."

"Ooooh, Okay." Pinocchio examined her arms, legs, head and checked her bolts and hinges and oiled them so they didn't get rusty and prevent her from walking or using her arms. He then checked for any cracks or chips but found nothing.

"Your body seems to be holding up pretty good Annabelle," said Pinocchio knocking his fist on her left arm. "I'm not sure if it's because of the fairy's magic or that you're made of sturdy wood."

"I think it's because did a great job building me, Daddy," Annabelle complimented him.

"Well, thank you, little lady. Now let's have some breakfast before you go to school."

"Ok," She smiled and kissed him on the cheek as he picked her up. After breakfast, Annabelle went to get ready for school. Figgy was excited too because she could now go to school with her as the class pet and keep all the mice and rats out. When they arrived, Miss Lorraine made a little basket bed for the kitten and some food and milk. The other students loved playing with her and Figgy made sure not to bother them during their lessons.

"Alright, everyone, I looked over your test papers and graded them. When I say your name, come up, and I'll tell you how well you did." When she finally called Annabelle s name, she walked up to the desk and the teacher gave her the paper that was now marked with a big B.

"What's this letter mean?" She asked holding up the paper.

"It means you did every well, Annabelle," Miss Lorraine explained. "Your handwriting is a little messy, but I know you're still learning to write and I can help you get better at it."

"Thank you, Miss Lorraine! I can't wait to show my daddy!" Annabelle returned to her desk and showed her paper to her friends.

"Wow, Annie! You did great!" Alex congratulated her. "I got a B too!"

"You girls did better than me. I got a C," Toby said feeling disappointed and flopped his head down on the desk. "Every time I get a C or a D! It's the Lampwick curse! I'm destined to be an idiot like my brother was!"

"Aw, don't say that Toby! You'll do better next time. I think you're a very smart boy," Annabelle told him. Toby felt more confident in himself being encouraged by Annabelle's words.

"Gee, Thanks, Annabelle. That's very kind of you to say that about me."

"If you need help Toby, maybe we can study together," Alex offered.

"Sure, Alex, that would great," Toby stated. "I always have trouble studying on my own." Suddenly all three of them felt their hats being pulled down over their faces and laughing.

"Ah, ha!" Losers!" Annabelle and her friends lifted their hats to see Andre, Thomas, and Melissa laughing at them. "Studying is for geeks and losers!" Andre taunted them.

"Buzz off, Andre!" Toby stood up and gave the bullies a threatening look.

"Or what? Lampwimp?" Andre said folding his arms trying to intimidate him. Toby didn't like the name the bully had called him and wanted to do something but Miss Lorraine saw what was going on and stood up.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" She shouted angrily. "I will not have any fighting in school! All four of you take your seats or you'll be sitting in detention after class today!"

"Sorry, Miss Lorraine," Toby apologized and quickly sat down. The bullies hurried back to their desks and did the same. Once order had been restored, Miss Lorraine began teaching her class about the history of their town and Italy. Later, when school was over, Annabelle and Alex walked outside and saw Pinocchio with Jiminy on his shoulder and standing beside them was a young woman with long brown hair, green eyes. She wore a tan blouse with puffy sleeves with a red ribbon, a brown corset vest, a long red skirt with frills underneath, and brown flat shoes. The woman was Alex's mother Juliana who was a childhood friend of Pinocchio's.

"Daddy! Daddy! Look how good I did!" Annabelle ran to her father and showed him the paper. Both he and Jiminy were amazed when they saw the grade on it.

"Good job, Annabelle! I'm very proud of you!" Pinocchio rewarded her with a big hug.

"Great job, kiddo!" Jiminy congratulated her. "Keep this up and you'll be a real girl in no time!"

"You did very well too, Alexandra dear," said Juliana hugging her daughter.

"Thanks, mom. Toby didn't do so well, so I offered to help me study." Alex explained.

"That's very kind of you, Alexandra." Juliana seemed very proud of her daughter.

"Hey, Julie! Since the girls did so well on their tests, how about we all go out for dinner together and celebrate?" Pinocchio suggested.

"That sounds like a fantastic idea, Pinocchio." Juliana agreed.

"Yeah!" The girls both cheered.

"You and Alex go home and get ready and we'll come to get you around dinner time."

"Alright then," Juliana replied. Alex noticed that her mother was looking at Pinocchio in a mesmerizing way and smiled thinking perhaps she liked him. After walking together back to town, Juliana and Alex went home to get ready to go out for the evening. But as they left, Annabelle felt something in her wooden heart that she hadn't felt before. She looked at Pinocchio and felt like something was missing. On the way home, Pinocchio noticed she was rather quiet since Alex and her mother left.

"What's wrong, Annabelle, Princess? Aren't you happy about how well you did on your spelling test?"

"Daddy? How come I don't have a mommy like Alex and Toby?" Pinocchio was very surprised by the question.

"That's because you weren't born the same way as your friends were. I made you from a piece of wood, the same way your grandfather made me."

"How were they born then?"

"Huh...well...?" Pinocchio wasn't sure how to explain to her where real people come from. Seeing his friend was having trouble, Jiminy stepped in.

"You see, Annabelle. When real people fall in love, they get married and have a baby. The baby grows up into a child and eventually becomes an adult."

"Oh! Then how come Alex doesn't have a daddy?"

"Because her father Eugene abandoned them!" Said Pinocchio looking angry and disgusted. "The first two years after I became a real boy, Julie and I were the of best friends and she looked after me like a big sister. But when we got older, She met Alex's father. They dated for about two years, but when she found out she was having a baby, Eugene said he didn't want to be a father and ditched her for another prettier girl."

"What a heartless jerk!" Jiminy stated.

"Poor Alex," Annabelle felt sad for her friend that her father didn't love her or her mother. "How could he do that to them?"

"Some people in this world are heartless and selfish, Annabelle," Jiminy explained. "They have no conscience and don't take responsibility for their actions. That poor woman was abandoned and left to raise her daughter all on her own. I can't imagine how hard that must have been."

"Julie and I didn't talk very much after that. I made other friends and became interested in being a woodcarver like my father. But I still saw her once in a while and she brought Alex to the shop many times in the past. I'm glad she's been doing alright raising her daughter on her own."

"Hey, Daddy?" Annabelle asked.

"Yes, Annabelle?" Pinocchio replied.

"Do you think maybe I could have a mommy?" Pinocchio didn't know how to respond to Annabelle's question.

"Those kinds of things take time, Annabelle," Jiminy answered for him. "Your father can't just get married. He has to get to know a girl and fall in love with her first."

"Do you love Alex's mommy daddy?"

"Well...I..." Pinocchio blushed as he tried to think of what to say. "We're just friends, Annabelle. But if you'd like I suppose you can think of her as a mommy."

"Okay!" As they walked the rest of the way home, Pinocchio thought about when he was younger and his relationship with Alex's mother and all the good times they spent together. He also thought about Annabelle wanting a mother and perhaps she would make a good mother figure for his puppet daughter. When they got home, Pinocchio put on an old light brownish suit that belonged to Geppetto and combined his hair.

"How do I look Jiminy?" Pinocchio asked.

"Like a handsome devil, Pinoke!" Jiminy replied giving him a wink and a thumbs up.

"You look, nice daddy," said Annabelle. Pinocchio noticed her dress looked a little dirty and her yellow clogs were muddy and needed to be washed.

"Annabelle! I think you ought to wear something different than that same dress and shoes you always wear!"

"Huh? What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Annabelle said looking at her clothes and shoes.

"You are going out to eat in a public place, Annabelle," Jiminy added. "You should wear something nicer than that blue dress and those wooden shoes. A real girl should always look presentable in public."

"But I don't have anything else to wear!" Realizing his daughter needed new clothes, Pinocchio thought perhaps he should buy her a new outfit.

"I think we should go to the tailors and buy you a new dress and shoes, Princess," Pinocchio suggested.

"Okay, daddy. Can I still wear my old dress and shoes tomorrow?"

"Sure you can. I'll wash your dress and clean your clogs, so you can keep wearing them okay?"

"Okay. Thanks," Pinocchio then took Annabelle to the tailor shop where there were lots of different kinds of clothes and dresses and shoes. The tailor was an old friend of Geppetto's. Pinocchio visited his shop many times to buy new clothes as he grew out of his yellow shirt and red overalls he wore as a puppet and a few years after becoming human.

"Well, well! If it isn't Pinocchio!" Said the tailor cheerfully. "How may I help you?"

"This is my new daughter Annabelle, Mister Luciano. We're going to dinner with Miss Antonio and her daughter and she needs some new clothes." The old man looked at Annabelle and wasn't at all surprised that she was a living puppet because he knew her father used to one.

"Hello sir," Annabelle greeted him with a bow and curtsey.

"You must be Geppetto's little granddaughter. Come with me and we'll if we can find something that will suit a lovely girl like you." She followed him into the back where there were lots of fancy-looking suits and dresses, and shoes. "Is there anything in particular in a particular color you'd like?"

"Well..um..do you have anything pink?"

"Ah-ha! I have just the perfect outfit. Right over here!" He showed her a small beautiful pink dress with frills, puffy sleeves, and matching oversized pumps with ribbons on them, and a hat with a flower on it. When Annabelle saw the outfit, her eyes widened with amazement.

"Wow! It's so pretty!" She ran over and admired how pretty the outfit looked.

"You like that outfit little lady?" Luciano asked.

"I do! Can I try it on?" Annabelle asked.

"Sure. The changing over is over there." The man pointed to the room close to the window. He took the outfit and shoes off the mannequin, gave them to Annabelle and she went into the changing room. In a few minutes, she opened the door and came out wearing the dress, hat, and shoes which were a little difficult to walk in.

"How do I look?" She asked doing a twirl. It felt awkward walking in shoes with heels, but it didn't seem to bother her at all.

"You look beautiful, young lady!" Said Luciano winking his left eye. Annabelle then ran out to show Pinocchio.

"Daddy! Daddy! Look at me!" She twirled and danced around showing off her the dress.

"Wow, Annabelle! You look beautiful in that outfit! You look much more presentable now." Pinocchio said in approval.

"Then can I have this one! Pretty please!" Annabelle pleaded.

"How much for the dress sir?" Pinocchio asked Luciano.

"Normally that outfit is 10 coins. But because since I go back with your father, Pinocchio, and your daughter looks lovely in that dress, I'll only charge five coins for it."

"Thank you, sir! I truly appreciate this." Pinocchio paid the man for the dress and Annabelle danced around with the room happily.

"Thank you, daddy! You're the greatest daddy in the world!"

"Your welcome my little princess." Pinocchio knelt and hugged her tightly. "You should thank Mister Luciano for selling you the dress too."

"Okay. Thank you, Mister Luciano, sir!"

"You're welcome, little wooden lady." He said delightfully. When they returned home, Annabelle immediately showed Jiminy her new outfit.

"Do you think my dress looks beautiful?" Annabelle asked.

"You look like a proper young lady, Annabelle," Jiminy stated.

"Hehe! Thanks, Jiminy. Though the shoes are a little hard to walk in."

"You'll get used to them after wearing them a few times, Princess," Pinocchio assured her. A few hours later, it was time for their dinner engagement with Alex and Juliana. Annabelle could hardly wait to show her new outfit to her friend.

"You two have a good time tonight!" Jiminy told them as they got ready to leave.

"You sure you don't want to come to dinner with us, Jiminy?" Pinocchio offered.

"Nah! You guys go and enjoy yourselves, I'll stay here and catch up on my reading."

"I'm going to stay here with my Dad and keep him company, Annabelle." said little Figgy curling up next to old Figaro.

"Okay. See you all when we get home!" Pinocchio and Annabelle walked through the town and soon arrived at Alex's house. Pinocchio knocked on the door, and Alex greeted them. She was wearing a green dress, a hat, and matching Mary Janes heels.

"Why Annie! you look beautiful!" She said admiring the puppet girl's new outfit.

"So do you, Alex!" Annabelle replied. Alex's mother appeared wearing a lovely green dress with short sleeves and a green waste corset and a pearl necklace. Pinocchio starred at her memorized by how beautiful she looked.

"How do I look, Pinocchio?" Juliana asked smiling and winking.

"You look lovely, Julie." He answered making her blush. Alex saw how Annabelle's father looked at her mom and could tell what they were thinking but Annabelle didn't understand.

"So where are we going?" Alex asked.

"Why don't we try that new restaurant that just opened in the market?" Juliana suggested. "I heard from Claudia and Roman that the food there is spectacular."

"Sounds good to me," Pinocchio agreed and they started walking together through the village. The girls held their parent's hands as they walked alongside each other.

"You look very nice, Miss Juliana," Annabelle said to her friend's mother.

"Why, thank you, Annabelle sweetie," Julianna replied with a smile.

"Hey, mom! Did you know Pinocchio used to be a puppet?" Alex asked her mother.

"Yes, I did. Your grandmother and I saw him at Stromboli's puppet show when I was a young girl," Juliana explained. "He looked so adorable singing and dancing on stage."

"I don't like to talk or think about that, Julie," Pinocchio said thinking how silly and foolish he looked performing on stage when he was a puppet.

"I'm sorry, Pinocchio. I didn't mean to upset you," Juliana apologized.

"That's alright, Julie, I don't like thinking about Stromboli and what he did to me after the show was over. He then used Annabelle to try and capture me again. I'm just glad he's in jail now."

"Me too, daddy," Annabelle agreed. "I hope they catch mister Honest John and Gideon too."

"I hope I never see those two crooks again either," Pinocchio stated. They continued walking until they arrived at the restaurant and walked inside. It was a fine establishment with tables and chairs and pictures of different places in Italy. A female waitress walked over and greeted them.

"Welcome to Alfredo's restaurant," She spoke with an Italian accent. "Please have a seat." She showed them to a table, and they all sat down. Pinocchio and Juliana sat on one side while the girls sat on the other side. The waitress then gave them a menu.

"Can I get you folks anything to drink? Shampain, or wine?" She asked.

"No thanks. Just water please," Said Juliana.

"Some milk for the girls please?" Pinocchio told the waitress.

"Okay. I'll be right back. Feel free to look at our menu." The waitress walked away and Pinocchio and Juliana looked at the menu deciding what to kind of food to order.

"What do you think Julie? Pizza, Spaghetti, or do you just want a salad?"

"I think I'll have a salad. The girls can have whatever they'd like." Juliana replied.

"You girls want pizza?" Pinocchio asked.

"Yes! I love pizza!" said Alex.

"What's Pizza? Is it food made out of animals?" Asked Annabelle.

"No silly! It's just bread with cheese and tomato sauce and it's delicious! Though they sometimes put pepperoni on it and that's made from pigs."

"Pigs! Yuck! Sounds gross!" Alex was surprised by her friend s reaction.

"Annabelle doesn't like food made from animals, Alex," Pinocchio explained remembering how she behaved when they had dinner at Lampwick's house.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Then we just won't get pepperonis. That okay, Annie?"

"Okay. I'm sorry for being rude Alex." Annabelle apologized. After several minutes, the waiter came back and served them their drinks and asked them what they would like.

"We'll have a pizza with no pepperoni and two salads." Said Pinocchio.

"Okay. We make the best pizza in Tuscany. It'll be ready in a few minutes." They waited for about ten minutes and the waitress arrived with a large pizza and two salads. She cut the pizza into twelve slices and everyone took one or two pieces. Annabelle stared at her plate for a few seconds then finally picked up the slice and tried it.

"Mmm! This is yummy!" She said taking another bite.

"I knew you'd like it, Annie." Said Alex eating her slice.

"How is Annabelle able to eat if she's a wooden puppet, Pinocchio?" Juliana asked.

"To tell the truth, Julie, I was just as surprised as you," Pinocchio replied. "I suppose that's just the way the fairy made her. I can barely remember what I was like when I was a puppet. I can't remember if I was able to eat or not since it's been so long."

"She's a very sweet girl. Alex has changed so much since she met her."

"Really? How so?"

"Before, Alex was having trouble fitting in at school and making friends and always hated wearing her glasses because other kids bullying her. But now she's become more independent, sociable, and helpful towards others."

"I suppose it's because she made a friend that likes her for who she is. Annabelle seems to look up to Alex like a big sister."

"Like how we used to be when we're kids remember?" Pinocchio thought back to when he was a boy and how he met Juliana. After Jiminy had left Pinocchio looked up to her as an older sister and for advice the same way Annabelle looked up to Alex.

"Yes, I remember. Those were the days."

"Pinocchio...I'm sorry I stopped being hanging out and playing with you after I fell in love with Eugene," Julianna said sadly and regrettably. "I was growing up snd becoming a woman. I never imagined I'd be having a child at a young age and raising her alone after Eugene abandoned me and left town to marry Cristina. But I'm glad to see you're doing alright and that you're a father now."

"It's alright, Julie, I completely understand. I went through some hard times myself growing up. Especially after losing my father last year. I wasn't sure how I was going to manage to live on my own, but I found a way to move on. Then Jiminy came back, and Annabelle came to life. Things have gotten better. Oh, and may I ask you a favor?"

"Certainly! What is it?"

"Well...Annabelle asked me on the way home if she could have a mother so...um...could you maybe be her godmother?"

"You want me to be her godmother?!" Juliana was surprised by his request.

"I know I already asked you to let Alex help keep Annabelle safe. But Annabelle needs someone to act as a mother figure. Since you and I are childhood friends, I couldn't think of anyone else to be her godparent than you." Juliana was flattered by Pinocchio's words. In Italy, being a godparent and having a godchild was a great honor.

"I'd be honored to be Annabelle's godmother, Pinocchio," she answered with a smile.

"Thanks, Julie. I appreciate this." Pinocchio was truly grateful to his friend.

"What are you two talking about?" Asked Annabelle overhearing their conversation.

"Just grown-up things, princess," Pinocchio told her then he and Juliana started eating. After everyone finished Pinocchio paid for the food and they walked back to Alex's house.

"That was a fantastic dinner, daddy!" Said Annabelle happily.

"Yes, thank you, Mister Pinocchio," said Alex politely.

"Your welcome, Alex," Pinocchio replied.

"I had a very good time too, Pinocchio." Juliana smiled at him. "Maybe we could have lunch together next week while the girls are at school?" She said giving him a wink.

"Sure we can, Julie. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. Come on Annabelle let's go home."

"Okay. Bye Alex! Bye, Miss Juliana! I had a great time!" Annabelle gave them both a hug.

"Goodnight, Annie. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Pinocchio. You two Annabelle." Pinocchio and Annabelle then started for home. Along the way, Pinocchio thought about Juliana and how happy he felt that she agreed to be Annabelle's godmother. He also thought about how beautiful she looked and hoped to spend more time with her in the future.

end of chapter 12 


	13. Chapter 13 Special delivery

Chapter 13 - A special delivery

While Pinocchio and Annabelle were having dinner with Alex and her Juliana, Jiminy sat comfortably back at the house reading his favorite book on the couch while Figaro and Figgy laid cuddled up next to each other by the fireplace. For a while, everything was normal when suddenly a bright light filled the whole house. When Jiminy looked, he was greeted by the blue fairy.

"Welcome back, milady," he stood up and greeted her with a bow.

"Hello, Sir Jiminy. I've come to see how Pinocchio and Annabelle have been doing so far." said the fairy.

"Pinoke and Annabelle aren't home right now, Miss Fairy. They went to have dinner with some friends."

"I know. I wanted to talk to you."

"Me huh ?" he replied with a blush.

"Yes. I wanted to ask how is Pinocchio doing as a father? And how Annabelle has been behaving."

"Oh right! Heh heh. Pinocchio is thrilled about being a dad but can be overprotective at times. As for Annabelle, she's been pretty good so far. The girl does make mistakes from time to time, but she learns fast and tries her best to do right. You think she might be ready to become real yet?"

"I'm glad. But I don't think she's ready yet. Pinocchio became real by proving himself brave, truthful, and unselfish. Annabelle is a different case. I want her to learn what it truly means to be real. When she's proven herself, I will make her human."

"I understand. By the way, any chance you might be able to grant her friend Alex's wish?"

"Little Alexandra? Yes, I've been watching her and her mother for a long time. I appreciate how she's been helping guide Annabelle on the straight and narrow path. As long as stays on the same path, I might be able to grant her wish as well.

"Thank you, Miss Fairy. I'll make Annabelle and her friends stay out of trouble and keep them straight."

"Very well. I'll return to check up on Annabelle again. Goodbye, Sir Jiminy." The fairy slowly disappeared, and Jiminy went back to reading his book while he waited for Pinocchio and Annabelle to come home. At around eight-thirty, Pinocchio and Annabelle finally returned. Figgy woke up and ran over to greet them, and Annabelle scooped up the kitten and cuddled her.

"Did you guys have a good time with Juliana and Alex?" Jiminy asked.

"We sure did, Jiminy," Pinocchio replied.

"I tried pizza, Jiminy, and it was delicious!" Annabelle exclaimed.

"That's nice, Annabelle. By the way, the fairy was here about an hour ago to check up on Annabelle's progress."

"She was here, Jiminy? What did she say?" Pinocchio was surprised and a little disappointed that he missed seeing her.

"She said that she's glad to hear Annabelle's doing good, but still has a lot to learn before she becomes a real girl. She also said that if Alex keeps helping her, then she'll grant her wish too."

"Really? Thanks, Jiminy," Annabelle cheered. "Alex will be so happy when she can see better without her glasses. I can't wait to tell her." Annabelle looked at the clock and saw it was passed her bedtime. As she went to go upstairs, Pinocchio stopped her.

"Tell you what, Annabelle, since its the weekend, I'll let you stay up for another hour okay?"

"Thanks, Daddy! Can I still wear my new dress till it s time for bed?"

"Sure, my little wooden princess. I'll wash your dress and shoes now so they can be dry in time for the morning." Pinocchio soon felt the house was a bit cold, so he lit a fire in the fireplace to make the room warmer. Annabelle sat on the couch looking at the flames, and it frightened her. "What's wrong, princess?" Pinocchio saw her trembling and sat next to her.

"I don't like fire daddy! It burns wood, and it's scary!" She replied shivering with fear and hugged her father tightly. Due to Annabelle s body being flammable, Pinocchio had warned her to stay away and never to play fire.

"Don't be scared Annabelle," Pinocchio put his arms around his daughter and tried to comfort her. "You want to know something? When I first came to life, I played with a candle, and my finger caught on fire!"

"Oh no, daddy! That's awful! Were you scared?"

"No, I wasn't scared because it didn t hurt and I didn't understand that fire was dangerous to puppets. Your grandpa was afraid though. He picked me up and ran all over the house looking for some water to save my finger. Then when we got eaten by a giant whale named Monstro, we built a big fire, and the smoke made him sneeze us out." Hearing his stories, Annabelle didn't feel scared anymore. Pinocchio continued telling her more about his childhood until she finally fell asleep. He then carried upstairs, put her to bed, and went back downstairs. "Hey Jiminy, could you come with me? I'd like to show you something."

"Sure thing pal." Jiminy rode on Pinocchio's shoulder as he walked into the workshop. He opened a wooden crate and took out an elegant looking music box. It was painted gold and silver with small diamonds encrusted on it and a big metal key sticking out of the back. When Pinocchio turned the key, the top part opened up and revealed two little figurines. A girl dressed in a purple gown and a man wearing a beige jacket and blue trousers. The two figures danced around in circles while lovely music played.

"Incredible, Pinoke! The craftsmanship is stunning! I'd say this is your best work on a music box yet!" Jiminy admired his friend's creation.

"Thanks, Jiminy. I made this as a birthday present for mayor Lorenzini's daughter. I need to deliver it to his office tomorrow, but the problem is I'm so busy with other things and running the shop, so I won't have time to make the delivery." Jiminy thought for a moment and got an idea.

"Why not let Annabelle deliver it for you? I believe that this is a perfect chance for her to learn how to be responsible."

"I don't know, Jiminy. Suppose Annabelle loses it or someone steals it from her? The mayor paid a lot of money for this music box, and if it doesn't get delivered, then we won't have money for food, and his daughter won't have her present."

"Come on, Pinoke, give her a chance! Let her prove she can be responsible. I'll go with her and make sure she delivered it safely." Pinocchio wasn't sure if his daughter was capable of running such an important errand like this, but the music box needed to be delivered by tomorrow or he might lose this important customer.

"Hmm...I'll think about it, Jiminy." Pinocchio put the music box away and headed off for bed.

When morning came, Pinocchio made breakfast and Annabelle put on her now clean traditional clothes. While his daughter did her chores, Pinocchio thought about letting her deliver the music box for him. After much thought, he decided to give her a chance.

"Annabelle? Could you come to the workshop and bring Jiminy too?" Annabelle came in with the cricket riding on her shoulder.

"Yes, daddy?" She answered happily.

"Princess, I have an important job for you to do," He opened the box and showed her the music box.

"Wow, daddy! That's a lovely music box!" Annabelle was memorized by the craftsmanship.

"I need you to deliver this music box to Mayor Lorenzini. It's a birthday present for his daughter. I'd take it to him myself, but I'm too busy running the shop to deliver it right now." Annabelle was surprised. Her father had never asked her to do such a thing before.

"You want me to take it to him, daddy? But I don't know who Mister Lorenzini is or where he lives!"

"I know where the mayor's office is, Annabelle," Said Jiminy. "I'll go with you and make sure you don't get distracted or anything. This will teach you about responsibility."

"Okay! I'll do it!" Annabelle said confidently.

"Good girl. Now, remember to be very careful with this gift! You have to make sure you get it to the mayor safely and don't lose it or break it, or his daughter will be sad. If you can do this, I'll be very proud. Okay?"

"Okay, daddy. I promise I'll be careful and make sure it gets to the mayor."

"That's the spirit, Annabelle," said Jiminy. Pinocchio put the music box back in the box, walked Annabelle to the door and gave it to her.

"Remember princess, don't stray off or let anything happen to the music box. Understand?"

"Yes, Daddy. I promise won't let anything happen to the music box." Annabelle replied with a smile.

"I'll make sure she doesn't mess up, Pinoke. So don't worry yourself," Jiminy assured him. Pinocchio opened the door, and Annabelle started off on her mission. Figgy followed her out and walked alongside her. He hoped she'd be okay this time after what happened when he first sent her off on her own. But this time Jiminy was with her so he thought she'd be alright.

"Jiminy? Who is this Mayor Lorenzini? I've never heard of him before," Annabelle asked as she walked through the village carrying the music box.

"The mayor is the person who is in charge of the town and makes the laws. He paid your father a lot of money to make that music box for his daughter," Jiminy explained to her.

"You think his daughter will like it?" Annabelle asked peeking inside the box.

"I'm sure she will. After all the hard work your father put into making it. If you can complete this job, it will show him that you can be responsible." As they approached the town square, Annabelle noticed two familiar people walking towards her. It was the bullies Andre and his girlfriend Melissa. When they saw her alone, they walked over and stood in front of her.

"Well, well, if it isn't the living log!" said Andre with a mean-looking grin.

"Whatcha got there, Woody?" asked Melissa eying the music box. Figgy didn't like these kids and hissed at them, but they ignored her.

"Daddy asked me to take a music box he made to mayor Lorenzini's for his daughter's birthday," Annabelle answered.

"The mayor huh? Sounds like a big responsibility," said Andre looking at Melissa.

"Tell you what, Annabelle. Today we're feeling generous, so how about we take it to the mayor for you?" Melissa offered.

"Huh...I don't know. What should I do Jiminy?" Annabelle asked the cricket.

"Don't do it, Annabelle!" Jiminy told her. "Their only trying to cause trouble for you! Remember, your father entrusted you to deliver that music box!"

"How pathetic! You're so dumb taking orders from a grasshopper! "Andre mocked her.

"GRASSHOPPER!" Jiminy shouted furiously. "Listen here you little punk! If you're smart, you'll listen to your conscience, or you'll be sorry one day! You too, Melissa!"

"Conscience! Ah, phooey! That's the stupidest thing in the world!" Melissa laughed.

"Ya! No one listens to their conscience these days!" Andre laughed too. Jiminy shook his head. It was clear these kids were only interested in making trouble for others.

"Come on, Annabelle! Just ignore these brats. Remember you've got a job to do."

"Okay, Jiminy. I'm sorry, Andre and Melissa, but I have an important job to do. I have to deliver this music box to Mister Lorenzini. Bye!" Annabelle tried to leave, but the girl stood in her way.

"You think you're just going to walk away from us woody?" The girl smiled wickedly making Annabelle nervous.

"Hand over the box, or we'll take it from you!" Demanded Andre.

"No! Leave me alone!" Annabelle tried to run away, but the Melissa stuck her foot out and tripped her. She fell over and dropped the box causing the music box to fall out. When she reached for it, Andre ran over and snatched it away.

"Hey! Give that back!" Annabelle yelled at them.

"Sorry, Woody. It's ours now!" Andre replied with a malicious grin. "See ya later, Termite brains!" The two bullies ran off laughing leaving her behind.

"Annabelle, you alright?" asked Jiminy. She sat up and felt very sad.

"I lost the music box, Jiminy!" She started to cry. "Daddy trusted me, and I let him down! Now the mayor's daughter won't get her birthday present!"

"Please don't cry, Annabelle! It wasn't your fault!" said Figgy trying to make her feel better.

"You can't just cry about it, Annabelle! When someone pushes you down, you gotta get back up! Take responsibility!" Annabelle realized the cricket was right. She wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up.

"Your right, Jiminy! Come on! I've gotta get that music box back!" She said with determination and started running after the bullies. She searched around the village but didn't see them. Then spotted her friend's Alex and Toby.

"Alex! Toby! Help!" She cried out and ran towards them.

"Annie! What's wrong?" asked Alex seeing her friend was in trouble.

"My daddy told me to deliver a music box to the mayor for his daughter's birthday and those mean kids Andre and Melissa stole it!"

"WHAT!? Why those no-good rotten jerks!" Toby growled furiously.

"Please! You have to help me find them and get back the music box, or daddy will be mad and never trust me again!" Annabelle cried desperately.

"Of course we'll help you," said Alex hugging her friend to comfort her. "We're your friends, and friends help each other. Right, Toby?"

"Sure thing, Alex. As a matter of fact, I know where those creeps hang out. Follow me!" The girl's and the kitten followed Toby, and he led them to an alleyway behind the brewery. They heard laughing coming from the alley. They peeked around and saw Andre and his friend Melissa with their other friend Thomas. Andre was holding the music box.

"That was too easy! Once we sell this at the pawnshop, we'll make a fortune!" said Andre.

"Ya, Andre! We'll be able to buy all the candy and Soda pop we want!" Thomas cheered.

"All thanks to that little wooden freak! I bet she ran home crying to her daddy. He'll surely punish her for losing the music box." Melissa laughed.

"Ya, and that stupid little grasshopper of hers thinks he's so smart! He's nothing but a pint-sized little pest!" They all burst out laughing. Annabelle became angry hearing them make fun of her and Jiminy, so she walked out to confront them.

"Hey! Give me back that music box!" She shouted at them. They were shocked to see her again.

"How did you find our hideout, woody?" Melissa yelled. As soon as she said this, Alex and Toby appeared behind her.

"You and your friends have got some nerve stealing from our Annabelle, Andre!" Toby said furiously at their leader.

"Annabelle's dad worked hard to make that for the mayor's daughter! So you had better give it back right now!" Alex demanded.

"Or else what, four eyes?" said Andre laughing at them.

"You goody goods can't tell us what to do! We're older and bigger than you wimps!" said Melissa.

"I've had enough of you and your gang always being mean to my friends, Andre! Knock it off and give back that music box!" Toby ordered. Andre handed the music box to Melissa and walked over to Toby.

"You're a wimp, Toby! Your brother was cool because he didn't care about school and doing right! You're a dork not wanting to follow in his footsteps!"

"I'm not a Jackass like he was! Lampwick was lazy and careless, and he got turned into a donkey! I'd never want to be like him! If you're not careful, you and your friends might end up like him someday!"

"Ha! You honestly believe that ridiculous story the Toymaker told you about misbehaving kids turning into jackasses? You're just as dumb as your freaky girlfriends!" Andre replied. Melissa and Thomas laughed and started brayed pretending to be donkeys. Hearing this made Toby angry. He clenched his fist wanting to punch the boy in the face, but just then, Jiminy hopped onto his shoulder.

"Don't let him get to you, Toby! I know you're trying to defend Annabelle, but fighting won't solve anything! If you hit him, you'll only prove your no better than him and his friends!" Jiminy warned him. Toby looked back at Annabelle and remembered he promised to help teach her to do right and didn't want to be a bad influence by showing her that fighting was the way to get back at someone for hurting or mistreating her. He took a deep breath and claimed himself.

"Come on, Andre! Let's not fight over this! Isn't there some way we can resolve this without violence?" Toby tried to reason with the bully.

"Hmm...alright. How about we make a deal?" Andre suggested.

"What kind of deal?" asked Alex.

"We're going to play a game. If you win, we'll return the music box, but if we win, then we keep it."

"What kind of game do you want to play?" Annabelle asked.

"How about we playing a game of marbles?" said Thomas taking a small brown sack out of his pocket.

"Marbles? What do you play that?"

"Two people take turns shooting a larger marble at smaller marbles in a circle trying to knock as many marbles as they can out ring. The person who shoots the most marbles out of the circle wins. We'll play five games and whoever wins three out of five rounds wins the match," Melissa explained.

"Alright. I'll play your game. But if I win, then you have to return the music box. Deal?" Toby held out his hand, and Andre shook it.

"Deal. Though I think you should know that no one has ever beaten me at marbles," Andre smirked.

"There's always a first time for everything," Toby replied.

"I'll be the judge and keep score," said Jiminy. Andre and his friends began setting up the game. Melissa drew a small white circle on the ground with a piece of chalk, and Thomas placed twelve small glass marbles in a triangle pattern in the center of the ring. Annabelle was curious about this game because she had never seen it before. Toby was familiar with it and often played it several times with his fellow schoolmates but had never played against Andre who everyone at school said was a master marble player.

"Please don't lose, Toby! Daddy will be super mad if I don't get that music box to the mayor!" said Annabelle worryingly.

"Don't worry, Annabelle. I promise I won't lose," Toby reassured her.

"Good luck, Toby," said Alex.

"Alright then. Let's get this game started!" Jiminy announced.

"I'll go first!" said Andre taking a large white marble out of his pocket. He kneeled down, laid his hand on the ground with and flicked the big marble at the smaller ones with his thumb. It struck the smaller ones causing them to scatter and several rolled outside the circle. Jiminy hopped over and counted them.

"Andre hit five marbles out of the ring! Now it's Toby's turn." Thomas scooped up the marbles and lined them back into the center. Toby took the white marble from Andre, kneeled down, aimed carefully, and flicked it as hard as he could. The ball struck the others, and they scattered again.

"Woo-ooh! Toby managed to get six!" Jiminy hollered.

"Way to go, Toby!" Annabelle and Alex cheered happily. Andre was irritated that Toby won the first game.

"You got lucky this round, Lampwimp!" said Andre pointing his finger at him. Thomas and Melissa gathered up the marbles and set up for the next second round. Since Toby won, he went first. He made his move and managed to hit six again. But Andre hit seven and won. The game went on for twenty minutes. Both Toby and Andre won two times each, and now it was time for the final round.

"Whoever wins this time gets to keep the music box," said Melissa.

"Prepare to lose! Candlewimp!" Andre taunted him.

"You can do it, Toby! We believe in you!" Alex encouraged him. Toby glanced at Annabelle, and she looked worried. He knew he had to win to get the music box back or she would be in trouble with her father. Andre took his turn and knocked seven marbles out of the circle. Toby had to get eighth to win. His nerves were on edge and waste ran down his face as he prepared to make his move. He kneeled down, held his breath, took aim, and flicked the ball as hard as he could. It struck the pile, and to everyone's amazement, all twelve rolled out of the ring.

"Toby wins!" Jiminy announced.

"WHAT!? IMPOSSIBLE!" Andre was astonished. It seemed luck was on Toby's side, and he managed to knock every marble out of the circle.

"Hurray! Toby won! Toy won!" Annabelle and Alex both cheered with joy and relief. Andre and his friends were furious having lost the game. Toby smiled confidently and walked over to the bullies.

"I won fair and square. Now please give us back the music box," He asked politely.

"FORGET IT, LAMPWIMP!" Melissa suddenly shoved Toby to the ground. The girls were shocked and surprised by this.

"If you want it back you'll have to take it from us! Right, Andre?" asked Thomas.

"NO!" Andre replied. He walked over and to everyone's surprise helped Toby up. "I may be bad, but I always honor my deals. Give him the music box, Melissa."

"WHAT!? But Andre!"

"Just do it!" he ordered. Melissa regretfully handed Toby the music box and stepped back. "You're an excellent marble player, Toby. But don't think this means we're going to lay off you and your girlfriends! We'll get you back for this, understand?"

"I understand. Thanks for honoring your promise, Andre. But if you and your friends keep teasing Annabelle, Alex, or anyone else, I'll do what I can to stop you!" Toby replied.

"Heh! Whatever! Just take the stupid box and go!" Toby walked over to the girls and handed the music box to Annabelle, and they all exited the ally.

"Thanks for helping me get the music box back, Toby," Annabelle handed the box to Alex and gave her the boy a big hug. Toby started to blush as the puppet girl hugged him.

"No problem, Annabelle. If Andre and his friends give you any more trouble, just let me know, and I'll straighten them."

"I'm very proud of how you handled that situation, Tobias. You made the right choice and listened to your conscience. Your parents will be very proud when they hear about this," Jiminy told him.

"If you hadn't given me advice back there, Jiminy, I probably would have gotten into a fight with Andre, and I didn't want to be a bad influence on Annabelle."

"Your welcome, Kid." said the cricket.

"I'm sure Andre and his friends will find some way to get back at us for this," said Alex worryingly.

"I'm sure they will, Alex. But we'll worry about that later. Come on Annabelle! We still got to deliver that music box to the mayor!"

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot!" Annabelle's friends escorted her through the town making sure no one else bothered her till finally they arrived at the mayor's office and went inside. When they entered the building, they saw a tall, thin man sitting behind a wooden desk. He had a bald head, grey mustache, wore a bright red velvet jacket, white trousers, and polished shoes.

"Um...Excuse me sir, but are you, the mister Lorenzini?" Annabelle asked politely. The man looked at the children.

"Yes, I am. Can I help you?" He asked in a friendly manner.

"I have a delivery for you sir. From my daddy, Pinocchio, the toymaker," Annabelle walked closer and showed him the music box.

"Oh! Philomena's birthday present!" Mister Lorenzini stood up, walked over and Annabelle handed the box to him. He examined the music box, and it appeared to be in perfect working condition. "You must be Pinocchio's little puppet daughter. Thank you very much for delivering my daughter's gift! Here, this is for your father." He reached into his pocket and handed her a bag filled with shiny coins which were Pinocchio's payment.

"Thank you, Mister Mister Lorenzini sir!" Annabelle smiled happily and as he handed her the bag.

"You're very welcome! Please give your father my best regards."

"I sure will. It was very nice meeting you, and I hope your daughter likes her present my daddy made for her." Annabelle and her friends said goodbye and started walking her home.

"I'm very proud of you Annabelle," Jiminy told her.

"You are? But Jiminy I lost the music box earlier "

"Yes, but you took responsibility and got back and made the delivery. You did an excellent job. I'm sure your father will be proud of you."

"Thanks, Jiminy," Annabelle said with a smile.

"By the way, Alex! I spoke with the blue fairy last night, and she said she might be able to grant your wish to be able to see better if you keep helping to teach Annabelle right from wrong."

"Really? Thanks, Jiminy! I promise, I'll do my best to guide Annabelle on the right path!" said Alex.

"Me too!" Toby added.

"Thanks, everyone! I'm glad to have such good friends to teach me to do good." Annabelle gave them each a hug. She had learned many valuable lessons today, and Jiminy hoped she would remember them in the future.

End of Chapter 13 


	14. Chapter 14 A selfless act

Chapter 14 An Selfless act

Upon returning home, Annabelle told Pinocchio about how Andre and his gang stole the music box and that her friends helped get it back and deliver it to the mayor. At first, Annabelle was worried her father might be mad at her for losing the box, but Pinocchio smiled and patted her head.

"You did well, Princess," said Pinocchio proudly. "You did a fine job. And here's a little reward for doing a good job."

He opened the money bag the mayor had paid for the music box and gave Annabelle five shiny gold coins for her service.

"Wow! Thanks, Daddy. But why are you giving me your money?" Annabelle asked.

"Your father is paying you for the work you did for delivering the music box for him," Jiminy explained to her.

"If you'd like Annabelle" Pinocchio offered, "I could give you an allowance for doing your chores and running deliveries for me. That way you'll have some spending money."

"Ok, Daddy, But what do I do with my money?"

"You can use it buy things, Annabelle," said Jiminy. "You can also save what you've earned to purchase something you want. You understand?"

"I think I do," Annabelle stated. "But where should my money so it won't get lost?"

"I can help you with that, Honey." Annabelle followed Pinocchio into the workshop where he handed her a little wooden bank craved like a pig with a slot on its back.

"What's this wooden animal for daddy?"

"Its called a piggy bank, Princess," Pinocchio explained. "I had one when I was a boy. You put your money inside and it will be safe."

"Oh, Ok. Thank you," Annabelle smiled with delight and put all five coins in the little bank. She then brought it up to her room and laid on the dresser near her bed.

"Remember, kiddo," Jiminy added. "Money doesn't grow on trees and should be used responsibly. So be careful what you spend it on, and don't get greedy with it either. That's temptation."

"Don't worry, Jiminy," Annabelle stated. "I'm not like Andre and his friends. I promise I won't be greedy."

"Good girl. I hope you'll remember that in the future."

On her way to school the next day, Annabelle told Alex about her reward and for delivering the music box. As they passed by an antique shop, Annabelle noticed something in the window that caught her attention.

"Oh wow! Look at that dress!" Annabelle exclaimed walking up to the store and staring at a beautiful Porcelain doll wearing a blue dress with frills, and ribbons, and matching blue shoes with gold buckles. "It's the most beautiful doll I've ever seen!"

"It sure is, Annie," said Alex admiring the dress. "But it's expensive too." Alex pointed out the price tag that read 15 coins.

"I'd really love to have that doll! But I don't have enough money to buy it." She frowned in disappointment.

"Then you'll have to save your allowance to buy it," Alex told her. "That's what I did to buy my red dress and hat."

"Alright. I'll save up until I have enough to buy the doll." Annabelle stated.

"Come on, Annie! We'd better get going or we'll be late for school!" Alex said pulling her along. As continued on, Annabelle had thought about the doll and how much she wanted to have it.

At school, Annabelle did her best to focus on her lessons and got through the day, while still thinking about the doll. Later that day n the way home, Annabelle showed Pinocchio the doll in the store window.

"I don't know, Annabelle," Pinocchio said. "That's a very delicate and expensive doll."

"Aw, but I really want it, daddy!" Annabelle insisted. "I'll work extra hard and save up my money to buy it!"

"Well...alright, if that's what you want to do, Princess." Pinocchio didn't like the idea of her wasting her money on an expensive toy but thought perhaps this would teach her a lesson.

Over the next two weeks, Annabelle worked hard cleaning the house, doing the dishes, and laundry, ran a few deliveries for Pinocchio and at the end of the week, he paid her five coins. Finally, had enough to get the doll she wanted. As she was about to leave to go buy it, Alex arrived.

"Hey, Annie!" Alex said.

"Hi' Alex!" Annabelle replied. Alex noticed she was holding her piggybank in her arms.

"Did you make to buy the doll you wanted?" Alex asked.

"Yep! I was just going to go get it. You want to come with me?"

"Sure, alright." Annabelle took Alex and hand and hurried out the door eager to get her precious new doll. As they walked quickly were the town, Alex realized Annabelle was overexcited and pulling her along very quickly. "Whoa! Annie! Slow down! Your walking too fast!"

"We have to get there before the store closes or someone else buys the doll!" Annabelle insisted continuing to move quicker. Suddenly, Alex tripped over a loose stone and fell, pulling Annabelle down with her.

"Oh, dear! Alex! I'm sorry, Are you alright?" cried Annabelle worried about her friend.

"Ya, I'm alright," Alex picked her self up then realized everything around her was all blurry and hard to see. "Uh oh! My glasses fell again! Annie! I can't see it! Help me find my glasses?"

Annabelle stood up and looked around for Alex's glasses. At first, she didn't she then until she took a step backward and heard a loud crunch that made her freeze with fear.

"Uh-oh!" Annabelle uttered looking down and lifting up her right foot. She had accidentally stepped on Alex's glasses, and the weight of her wooden shoe had crushed them. She picked them up and handed them to her friend.

"Oh no! You stepped on my glasses!" Alex yelled holding up her destroyed glasses. Fear entered her mind as she worried about what her mother would think when she learned what had happened to them.

"I'm so sorry, Alex!" Annabelle replied. "I shouldn't have been in such a hurry to buy that doll!" Alex was a little upset with Annabelle for breaking her glasses, but she knew it was an accident and didn't want to be mad at her.

"It's alright, Annie. I'll have to tell mom, I need new ones. They cost a lot of money to replace, so I hope she won't be too mad. But how am I going to get home if I can't see?"

"I'll help you get home, Alex!" Said Annabelle remembering where Alex lived with her mom. She held her hand and guided her through the town. As they walked, she noticed that her friend was constantly blinking her eyes and having trouble walking straight. "Do your eyes hurt when you can't see?"

"Not really. It's just hard to see because everything is all blurry like being underwater. Mom said I was born with bad eyesight and that's why I need to wear glasses to help me see." Alex was looking in the wrong direction to where Annabelle was walking next to her.

"Alex, I'm over here!" Alex turned her head to where Annabelle's voice was coming from feeling a little embarrassed.

"Oh! Sorry, Annie. When I can't see its hard to tell where the person that's talking to you is." Annabelle felt sad that her friend couldn't see anything. All because she was so eager to buy a doll for herself. When they arrived at the house, Alex's mother, Juliana was outside watering some potted flowers on the windowsill when the girls walked up to her.

"Alexandra! Where are your glasses?" She asked her daughter sounding both surprised and a little angry. Alex's fear increased when she heard her mother's voice.

"I accidentally stepped on Alex's glasses and broke them, Miss Julie," Annabelle admitted feeling ashamed of what she did.

"Please don't be mad, mom! It wasn't Annabelle's fault. I tripped, and they fell off." Alex handed her mother the broken glasses.

"It's alright girls, I'm not angry," said Juliana calmly. "These were old anyway Alex. You've worn them for over four years now. We'll just have to go and buy new ones." Annabelle accompanied Alex and her mother to a shop that sold glasses for people who had trouble seeing. Inside were shelves filled with eyeglasses in many different shapes and sizes.

"Hello, Miss Antonio. How may I help you today?" Asked the shop owner. He was a senior man with white hair, a beard and wore glasses too which were small and rested on his nose.

"Alexandra's glasses got broken, and she needs a new pair," Juliana explained handing him the broken glasses. The man examined them, left the room a few minutes, then returned with a new pair that looked like the old ones. Alex tried them on and her vision was clear again.

"Thank goodness I can see again!" Said Alex with relief. Annabelle was happy her friend was able to see once more.

"That will be thirty coins, Ma'am," said the owner. But when Juliana counted her money she relieved it wasn't enough and was five coins short.

"Oh, dear! I'm afraid I don't have enough to pay for glasses!" Alex grew worried. If her mother couldn't pay for the new glasses, then she'd have to give them back. Annabelle looked down at her piggy bank and thought about what Jiminy had told her not being greedy and wasting her money on foolish things. She then stepped forward and help up her bank.

"Here Miss Julie, you can use some of my money to pay for Alex's new glasses."

"But Annie, then you won't have enough to buy the doll you wanted!" Said Alex.

"I don't want that doll anymore, Alex. I'm the one who broke your glass and I want to help pay for the new ones. You're more important to me than a silly doll." Alex was touched by her friend's selflessness.

"Thanks, Annie, you're a true friend!" Said Alex and hugged Annabelle.

"That's very sweet of you Annabelle," Alex's mom smiled. "I'm glad to see Pinocchio has taught you never to be greedy or selfish." Julianna took the bank from Annabelle, open it, took five coins, paid for the glasses and handed the bank back to the puppet girl. Annabelle felt proud of what she did to help her friend.

"Now what should we do?" Annabelle asked.

"Would you like to come to our house for a while, Annabelle?" Julia asked. "I'll make you a delicious apple pie to take home since you helped pay for Alex's new glasses."

"OK, I'd love to! I haven't been inside your house yet," Annabelle replied. The three of them then walked back to Alex and Julianna's house. When they arrived, Alex stopped Annabelle as her mom opened the door.

"Hold it! You'll have to take your clogs off before you come inside Annie," said Alex, slipping off her shoes and picking up.

"Huh? But why Alex?" Annabelle asked confused.

"Shoes track dirt and mud on the floor, and mom likes to keep floors clean," Alex explained.

"Oh! Okay." Annabelle slipped her wooden feet out of her clogs and picked them up. The girls then entered the house and laid their shoes by the door. Alex showed Annabelle around the house that had once belonged to her great-grandfather and was left to her mother by her grandparents. It was a small house with a living room, a kitchen, a bathing room, and two bedrooms upstairs.

"So what do you do for a job, Miss Julie?" Annabelle asked.

"I'm a baker Annabelle," Juliana replied. "I work at the bakery in the market and make bread, cakes, cookies, and pies. Speaking of which, I'll start on your apple pie right away and make dinner too. Why don't you girls play upstairs until it's ready?"

"Ok, mom." Alex led Annabelle upstairs to her room which looked similar to her bedroom back at the workshop. In one corner was a big wooden wardrobe and on the other, a large shelf filled with books and dolls, and in the corner near the window was a big comfy bed with a red blanket.

"Your room is so cool, Alex!" said Annabelle looking around her friend's room.

"Thank, Annie. I'm glad you like it." The girls spent the next hour playing with Alex's dolls and trying on a few dresses till Julianna had finished baking Annabelle's pie.

"Wow! That pie looks good, Miss Julie," Said Annabelle.

"Thank you, Annabelle. I hope your father and Jiminy will enjoy it too."

"You'll love mom's apple pie, Annie. She's an amazing baker," said Alex looking at mother. Julianna smiled at her daughter and gave Annabelle the pie.

"Thank you, ma'am. I should be getting home now before Daddy wonders where I've been so long."

"I'll help you carry the pie home, Annie," Alex offered.

The girls walked through the town and back to Annabelle's house and when she told Pinocchio and Jiminy what happened and how she used her money to buy Alex a new pair of glasses they were both pleased with her.

"That was a truly noble and selfless act, Annabelle," said Jiminy proudly. "I'm you glad listened to your conscience and did the right thing by helping your friend instead of being greedy and buying that doll."

"Thanks, Jiminy," Annabelle said and handed Pinocchio the pie.

"I'm proud of you too, Annabelle," Pinocchio said patting her head and sitting the pie on the table. "Now let's all have some Apple pie."

The girls sat at the table as Pinocchio served everyone including Figaro and Figgy a slice of pie. Both Pinocchio and Jiminy were proud of Annabelle for learning her lesson and hoped she would remember it in the future.

End of Chapter 14 


	15. Chapter 15 The Green Fisherman

Chapter-15 The old green Fishermen

"I've got no strings, la, la, la, la!" Annabelle sang merrily as she and her best friend Alex walked to school together.

"You're in a cheerful mood today, Annie." Said Alex as they walked through the town and towards the fields.

"I am, Alex. It's such a beautiful day! I'm so happy I feel like singing and dancing all day long!" Annabelle danced around her friend jumping and spinning her wooden arms and legs and doing twirls. "Hi-ho the merrily oh! I'm as happy as can be! I want the world to know nothing ever worries me!"

"That's a cute song your singing, Annie, where did you learn it?"

"That's the song my daddy sand when he performed at Mister Stromboli's puppet show. He likes hearing me singing it and watching me dance around the workshop." Alex smiled as she watched her puppet friend sing and dance. Annabelle finished her performance with one finale twirl.

"That was great, Annie. But we really should be getting to school now." Alex insisted.

"Oh ya! Sorry Alex, I forgot. Let's go!" Grabbing her friend's hand she began pulling her along until they arrived at the school. When they arrived, Miss Lorraine greeted them as they entered and sat at their desks. Later, during recess, Annabelle noticed a group of boys standing by the jungle-gym talking about something and walked over to listen to what they were saying.

"It's true! My uncle said he saw the old green Fishermen on the beach yesterday!" said one of the boys.

"Really? Did he say what he looked like?" His friend asked.

"My uncle said the man was so ugly he looked like a sea monster. He was ten feet tall and looked like a lizard erected on its hind legs. He had green skin, green eyes, a long drooping beard, and instead of hair, on his head was a dense clump of grass." The other boys looked at him in disbelief.

"Ah, come on! You're making that up, Angelo!" One of the boys laughed. "I think your uncle had too much to drink at the Red Lobster Inn. The green Fisherman is just a fairytale!"

"No, I'm not making it up! My uncle doesn't lie! He saw the thing with his own eyes! It was the most horrifying thing he'd ever seen!" Annabelle had curious about the green fishermen they were gossiping about and wondered who he was. At lunchtime, she talked Toby and Alex about it.

"I've never heard of any green fishermen," said Alex.

"I have!" Toby exclaimed. "My papa used to tell me stories about him when I was little. He said it's a big scary monster that looks like an old man and lives near the ocean."

"Who or what is he, Toby?" Annabelle asked.

"No one knows because everyone is afraid of him. The adults say he kidnaps small children and takes back to a cave where he lives and cooks them in a big frying pan." Annabelle was frightened upon hearing this.

"That's ridiculous!" Alex stated. "There's no such thing as a big green Fishman that eats children!"

At the end of the day, Pinocchio came to pick Annabelle up from school and the two of them went shopping in the market. Pinocchio bought some fresh tuna for Jiminy, himself and that cats, and some fruits and vegetables for Annabelle since she didn't like meat or fish. On the way home, Annabelle asked Pinocchio about the fishermen.

"Annabelle, the Green Fisherman is just a made-up story adults tell the children to scare them and keep them from misbehaving," Pinocchio explained. "Your grandfather used to tell that story all the time when I was a boy. He said when he was young he saw the creature at the shore and he was so frightened he ran away. But I never believed him. It's just a made-up story."

"But what if the fisherman is real, daddy?" Annabelle insisted.

It's just a story, Princess. Now forget about it." Pinocchio said not wanting to discuss it anymore. Annabelle did as she was told and soon forget about the fisherman. When they returned to the workshop, Pinocchio made dinner and everyone sat down to eat. After dinner, Annabelle sat in the living room and started reading while Figgy laid in her lap while Annabelle read to her till it was time for bed.

The next morning, Annabelle was waiting for Alex to come but when she opened the door, Toby was waiting for her.

"Toby! What are doing here? Where's Alex?"

"I'm afraid Alex is sick, Annabelle," Toby explained. "She's not feeling good and can't come to school today. Her mother came to my house, and she asked me to walk with you until Alex feels better."

"Oh, Ok. Thanks, Toby. I hope Alex is okay and feels better tomorrow." Annabelle was sad that her Alex was sick, but she was happy her other friend offered to take her to school and gave him a surprise hug which made him blush. Pinocchio and Jiminy noticed his face flushing and tell that he liked her.

"That's very sweet of you Toby, to escort Annabelle," said Pinocchio. "You just make sure nothing happens to my little puppet princess. Understand?"

"Don't worry, Mister Pinocchio sir, I'll keep her safe," Toby replied with a salute.

"Are you coming to school today Jiminy?" Annabelle asked.

"Not today, Annabelle. I have to help Pinocchio with running the shop. But I think you'll be fine on your own. Just remember the lessons I taught you, and stay out of trouble. That goes for you too, Toby!"

"Yes sir, Mister Cricket."

"Good, now you two get going, or you'll be late for school."

"Ok. Bye, Daddy and Jimmy. Come, Figgy!" The little kitten followed Annabelle and Toby out the door. Pinocchio and Jiminy watched them until they disappeared around the corner.

"I never would have imagined Lampwick's brother would be helping my little girl." Pinocchio chuckled.

"I think that boy might have a bit of a crush on her Pinoke," Jiminy hinted. "How do you feel about that?"

"Well, as long as he's a good influence on her, I guess I'm ok. I remember when I had my first crush on a girl named Cristina when I was a boy. But I never got up the courage to tell her how I felt."

"What about Alex's mother, Juliana? You've been spending a lot of time with her these past two weeks, and I've seen the way you've been looking at her, ya know." Pinocchio's face turned red when Jiminy said this.

"Oh! Huh...It...It's not like that, Jiminy! I...uh...I just like her as a friend!" Jiminy could tell by how nervous his friend looked that he too had feelings for his old friend.

"Your nose might not grow anymore, Pinocchio, but I can tell you like that woman. She helped look after you while I was away and I think she'd be a good mother for Annabelle." Pinocchio knew he couldn't hide the truth from his best friend.

"Okay, you got me. I do like her, Jiminy. But I'm afraid to ask her out. You see, Julie hasn't dated another man since Eugene abandoned her and Alex. I think she's afraid of being having her heart broken again."

"If that's the case, then just be friends with her for now. Sometimes a broken heart takes a long time to heal. But you've got a good heart, Pinoke, and I think you can help her mend it."

"Thanks, Jiminy. We'll see how things turn out. But right now I have a business to run." And with that, they both went inside.

Meanwhile, Annabelle and Toby were making there to school. As they walked through the town, Toby stared silently at the puppet girl and thought how pretty she looked. He felt like there were butterflies in his stomach. Suddenly, Annabelle turned and looked at him.

"Sure is a beautiful day, huh, Toby?" Annabelle said in a cheerful mood.

"Uh...Ya, it sure it." Toby quickly replied trying and turned his head away. Annabelle stopped walked and stared at him.

"Are you alright, Toby? You look nervous about something." At first, Toy didn't know what to say, He never felt like this about a girl before. After a few seconds, he finally found the courage to say something.

"Um...Annabelle, can I tell you something?"

"Yes, what is it?" She asked. But before he could say anything two boys came running up to them. One of them was Thomas and the other boy was his friend Edger.

"Hey, Annabelle, did you hear the news?" Said, Edger.

"No. What news, Edger?" Annabelle asked in reply.

"The green Fisherman is on the beach fishing for tuna!" Thomas explained.

"Really? The fishermen Angelo was talking about yesterday? But my daddy said he's just a story the adults made up to frighten kids."

"We'll we heard someone in town said they just saw him at the shore. We're going to see if he's real. Why don't you want to come with us?" Edger offered.

"We don't have to for that, Edger" Said Toby. "We have to get to school, or Miss Lorraine will scold us for late!"

"So what if you're a few minutes late? One lesson more or less makes no difference to us. Come on, Annabelle! You wanna see the fishermen don't you?" Thomas grabbed Annabelle's arm and tried to encourage her to accompany them.

"I do want to see him because I want to know if he is real. But I don't want to miss school. I'll go see him after school." Annabelle told them.

"By that time he'll be long gone. If you want to see him, you'll have to come now. The beach is only a short walk from here. And we've got plenty of time till class starts. Come on!" Annabelle started to feel intrigued about going to the seashore.

"I've never been to the shore before. And I'd like to see the love to see it. Can we go there, Toby? Please?" Toby wasn't sure what to do. He didn't want to be late for school, but he also didn't want Annabelle to be upset so he gave in.

"Well...I guess we could take a quick peek. Class doesn't start for till a quart of eight. As long as we get back in time before the bell rings. How long does it take to get there and back, Edger?"

"If we run, we can get there and back before the bell rings with plenty of time. Follow us!"

The boys took off running towards the shore Annabelle picked up Figgy, and she and Toby followed the boys. When they arrived at the beach, Annabelle amazed seeing the ocean for the first time. She remembered her father's stories of when her grandfather had been swallowed by a giant whale and Pinocchio and Jiminy rescued him. The sea was calm and there smooth. Annabelle and Toby both scanned the shore but didn't see the mythical fishermen anywhere.

"Where is he?" Annabelle asked looking everywhere but saw nothing. "I don't see anyone the fisherman on the shore!"

"Maybe he went home to eat breakfast," Thomas replied with a snicker.

"Ya! Or maybe he decided to go back home!" Both boys started laughing.

"What are you guys laughing about?" Toby asked suspiciously.

"Hahaha! You wimps fell for it!" Said a familiar voice. Out from a big rock, Andre appeared grinning and walked over to Thomas and Edger.

"Andre! What are you doing?" Asked Annabelle.

"I heard you listening to Angelo's story about the green fishermen, so I had Thomas and Edger to tell you they saw him to get you to come here instead of school. Class started five minutes ago. So now you're both late! Haha!"

"You tricked us, Andre!" Toby shouted angrily. "Now Miss Lorraine is going to think we tried to play hookey!"

"Exactly! This is payback for beating me at the marble game. Now you'll both get scolded for not coming to school!" The bully and his friends all laughed at them.

Annabelle slowly began to realize that they had lied to her so she would miss school and get in trouble with her dad and the teacher. This made her feel sad as she had once again given in to temptation. She felt like a complete fool.

"Aww! What's the matter woody?" Andre taunted her. "Why don't you run home and cry to your daddy, you little wooden freak!" Annabelle looked like she was about to cry. Toby started to get angry at Andre for making fun of the puppet girl and stepped in front of her.

"Stop it, Andre! I've had it with you always making fun Annabelle because she's a puppet! You better stop it right now!" He shouted at them.

"Aw, put a sock in it, Candlewimp!" Andre suddenly picked up hurled a rock at him Toby, and it struck him in the face knocking him down.

"Oh no! Toby!" Annabelle panicked and ran to help her friend. Toby had been hit so hard he was unconscious, and there was a big red mark on his face where the rock had hit him. Andre laughed Maliciously and took off running towards town.

"Toby! Wake up! Please wake up!" Annabelle cried frantically, but her friend didn't respond.

"Maybe he's taking a nap?" Said little Figgy. Annabelle started to get worried. She didn't know how to help her friend and why he wasn't waking up.

"Help! Someone! Please help!" She yelled as loud as she could hoping someone might hear her. Ten minutes later, two policemen appeared and ran over to them.

"What's going on here?" Asked one of the officers. "Shouldn't you kids be in school?" Annabelle remembered Pinocchio told her police officers were good guys and took bad people to jail.

"My friend is hurt, and he won't wake up. Please help him!" she cried frantically. The Policemen examined the mark on the boy's face. The other ran down to the water, came back with his hat full of water and poured it on Toby's head.

"What injured him?" The one officer asked her.

"He was hit in the face with a rock!" Annabelle told them.

"Did you throw it at him?" The other officer asked suspiciously.

"Huh? No! It wasn't me! It was a bully named Andre! He tricked us into coming here to see the fishermen. He then my book at Toby!" Annabelle knew she was telling the truth, but the police officers didn't seem convinced by her story.

"We just ran into a couple of kids, and they told us they saw you throw your rock at this boy!" Said the policemen.

"But I didn't! I'm honest! If I lie, then my nose grows!" Annabelle knew she was being honest, but the officers didn't seem to belive her story.

"I think you'd better come with us, little puppet girl until we find out who's telling the truth!" One of them reached out and grabbed Annabelle's wooden arm.

"No! Please! I don't want to jail! I didn't do anything bad!" Annabelle cried frantically. Seeing Annabelle was in trouble, Figgy went into protective mode. She leaped at the policemen and bit his hand making him release Annabelle.

"You bad men! Leave Annabelle alone!" She hissed and growled at them. The other man grabbed the kitten and threw her to the ground. Annabelle snapped her up and took off running as fast she could with the policemen chasing after. They chased her across the fields and down to the seashore. Being made of wood, she was able to run faster and eventually outran them. When she stopped to rest, she started to feel guilty about what happened and started to cry.

"I'm in big trouble, Figgy. I skipped school to look for the fisherman, Toby got hurt trying to protect me, and now the police think I'm a bully. Daddy and Jiminy are going to be super mad at me when they find out what happened."

"But it wasn't your fault Annabelle. It was Andre and his friend's fault. You didn't do anything bad."

"No. But I missed school, and they'll probably tell Miss Lorraine that we played hooky. I wish I never heard about the stupid fishermen!"

"Who are ya be calling stupid?" Said an angry voice. Annabelle was startled and turned around to see a tall elderly looking man with green skin, green hair, a bushy beard, and bright yellow eyes. He was wearing an old worn-out hat, a long blue overcoat, a dirty red and white striped shirt, and blue trousers. In his hand, he had a net filled with fish. It was the mythical fishermen. Annabelle was so surprised and frightened that she couldn't move. The man stood there staring down at her for several minutes before he finally spoke.

"You shouldn't call people stupid, little girl! It's not good manners!" Annabelle was so frightened by the man that she couldn't run away.

"I-I-I sorry mister green fishermen! Please don't take me away and cook me in a frying pan!" She cried fearfully.

"Say what? Why would I do that?" The old man asked in surprise.

"Because my classmates said that you kidnap children and cook them in a big frying pan!" The Fishermen started to laugh when he heard this.

"Oh ho, ho, ho! There's no need to be afraid of me, little lady. All those stories you heard about me aren't true. I would never hurt anyone. I just an old hermit with green skin." Annabelle was confused. The creature everyone told her was a big scary monster was acting friendly, and his face looked nothing like how school kids described him.

"Really? Well in that case. My name is Annabelle. And this is my kitten, Figgy. It's nice to meet you Mister Green fisherman."

"Please to meet ya both! But you don't have to call me that, my real name is old Joseph Fisher." The fisherman then shook hands with her. "Say, you look different than all the other children."

"I'm not a real girl. I'm a wooden puppet. I was built my daddy, Mister Pinocchio. He used to be a puppet-like me, but a blue fairy lady made him into a real boy and wished for me to be alive, so I learn to be real like him."

"Is that so. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Annabelle. Would you like to come back to my place for lunch?" the old offered.

"I don't know. Daddy always told me not to go anywhere with people I don't know. He might get mad."

"I promise that I won't hurt you. It would be nice to have company. I never get visitors." Annabelle thought about whether or not she should accompany the man to his home.

"What do you think, Figgy?" she asked her little friend.

"He seems nice, Annabelle. And those fish smell delicious!" the kitten replied licking his lips.

"Well...Ok. We'll go with you." She replied with a smile. Annabelle followed the Fisherman down the beach where a large old and dilapidated ferry steamboat was washed up on the shore. It looked like it hadn't been used in years and it was covered in moss and seaweed.

"Is that your boat your house?" Annabelle asked.

"That's it. This old ship washed up on shore over ten years ago so I moved in," Mister Joe explained. "Since I can't live in town because everyone was frightened by me, I used to live in a nearby cave for over fifty years until I found this old shipwreck." Annabelle didn't know it, but this was this ferry boat had once belonged the wicked coachmen which he used to bring naughty children to Pleasure island. Annabelle then followed the old fisherman onto the boat. They entered one of the cabins which had a small iron stove with a frying pan, fishing rods and nets, and a little bed in the corner. Annabelle and the kitten sat down while the Fisherman began cooking the fish he had caught.

"Would like some fish young lady?" He offered.

"No thanks. I don't like food that's made from animals. But I think Figgy would like some." Annabelle replied. The fisherman got a plate and laid down some fish for the kitten, and she started eating. When his lunch was ready, he sat down and again and began to eat.

"Do you always eat fish, Mister Joe?" Annabelle asked.

"All the time," the fisherman replied. "I've been fishermen ever since I was a boy. Since I can't go into town, I have to catch food to eat. I sometimes eat apples and berries from trees and bushes."

"You're nothing like my school friends said you were. Angelo said you were a big ugly monster. But you seem like a nice man. Why don't you live in the village like everyone else?" The Fisherman looked at her and sighed.

"I suppose I could tell you my story. I was born with green hair and skin because my father was a seaman. I lived with him and my mother in town, but the people didn't like us because we looked like big green monsters. In school, the other children would tease me and call me names like green face."

"That's awful! I know how you feel. Sometimes the kids at school tease me because I'm made of wood and not flesh like them." Annabelle told him.

"When I got older, and my parents passed away from illness. I got as a fisherman, but not many people liked me because I was so strange and ugly looking. I tried to kind and helpful but every time the children saw me they'd run away in fear. The parents thought I tried to steal their children and called me a monster. Since know who liked or trusted me, I decided to leave the village." Annabelle started to feel pity for the old man as he told her his story.

"That's awful! You didn't do anything bad! Why should you have to live alone just because you look different?"

"Unfortunately, little puppet girl, People don't always accept others for being different. They judged me before they even know me. So I decided I was better off living alone."

"Well, maybe I can help you. If the townspeople saw how nice you are maybe they won't think you're a monster and let you come back." Mister Joe looked at her in surprise.

"You...You'd do that for a poor old fisherman like me? No one has ever tried to help me before."

"Sure! Daddy and Jiminy always say you shouldn't judge people before you know them. When I go home, my friends and I can tell everyone about you and that your innocent and didn't set that boat on fire."

"That's very kind of you to offer little girl, but I'm not sure anyone would believe you. Besides, not many people know I'm real and think I'm a fairytale."

"They'll have to believe me because my nose grows when I tell a lie. I'll tell them how I met you and tell them what a nice person you are and that your not a big scary monster."

"That's very kind of you, Miss Annabelle. I certainly hope you can do that." Annabelle stayed with the mister Joe for the remained of the day and listened to a few of his stories. When she looked at the clock on the wall she realized she had lost track of time and it was after five.

"Oh! No! I'm going to be in big trouble!" She cried frantically. "I didn't go to school today because I wanted to look for you. Daddy, Jiminy, and Miss Lorraine going to be super mad at me! Come on Figgy! It was nice meeting you, Mister Joe. But I have to go home now. I promise I'll come back and visit you." " She scooped up the kitten and started to leave. She hurried back to town wondering how she would explain to her father everything that had happened.

End of chapter of 15 


	16. Chapter 16 A big fight

Annabelle Chapter 16 A big fight

As Annabelle and figgy hurried back to town, they saw Alex's mother running around and calling for them. Pinocchio had asked her to look for his daughter and when he learned she hadn't been to school.

"Miss Julianna! Here we are!" Annabelle called out to the women.

"Annabelle!" Julianna exclaimed running towards her. "We've been looking everywhere for you! Your father is worried desperately about you! I've got to get you home!" She swept the wooden girl and kitten into her arms and carried them back to the house. Pinocchio was relieved that Annabelle was safe and nothing happened to her but he was also very upset with her for playing hooky from school and Jiminy was cross too and curious about where she had been all day.

"Annabelle, you've got a lot of explaining to do little missy!" Pinocchio said sternly. "Miss Lorraine said you weren't in school today and I heard you got in trouble with the police!"

"You had better tell the truth, Annabelle," Jiminy warmed her. "Because we'll know if you lie!" At first, Annabelle was too afraid to tell them what happened. She looked back at Julianna who looked more concerned than angry.

"Please, tell us where you've been, Annabelle." She encouraged her. Annabelle knew what she had to do, so she turned to her father and the cricket and explained to them what happened.

"I'm sorry, Daddy and Jiminy," Annabelle started to apologize. "I didn't mean to play hooky from school! Andre and his friends tricked me into going to the beach to find the green fisherman. We got into a fight and Toby got hurt and the police thought I beat him up and tried to arrest me so I ran away."

"You shouldn't have run away from them, Annabelle," Jiminy stated. "You only made yourself look more guilty. More importantly, you shouldn't have skipped school to look for that fairytale fishermen!"

"Jiminy is right, young lady!" Pinocchio agreed. "Toby's mother and father were upset with him for skipping school and getting into a fight, all because you wanted to see if this fisherman was real!" Annabelle felt greatly ashamed for getting her friend in trouble.

"But he IS real, Daddy! I met him on the beach and made friends with him." Pinocchio, Julianna, and the cricket all looked confused by what she said.

"What are you talking about, Annabelle?" Julianna asked.

"The fishermen's name is mister Joe, and he invited me and Figgy to his boathouse where told us how he left the village because the townspeople thought he was an ugly monster." Pinocchio became more upset when she told him where she had been all day.

"Annabelle, What have I told you about talking to or going places with strange people?" He asked sternly.

"But Daddy, I-"

"Didn't you learn from what happened with Honest John and Gideon? What if this man tried to kidnap you and sell you to the circus or something!"

"But he's not a bad man like Mister Honest John and Gideon, Daddy! He's a poor lonely misunderstood old man!" Annabelle explained.

"I don't care!" Pinocchio shouted. "I've told you how many times not to trust people you don't know! You're not getting off the hook this time young lady!"

"Pinocchio! Relax! You don't have to be so angry at her!" Julianna exclaimed trying to calm him down but Pinocchio ignored her words.

"I'm sorry Annabelle, I'm going to have to punish! You are grounded for a week!" Pinocchio said firmly.

"Grounded? What does that mean?" Annabelle asked having never been punished before.

"It means you are not allowed to leave the house unless I tell you to except for school, and no friends either! And I don't want you going anywhere near the shore or that strange fisherman anymore! Do you understand?"

"B-But daddy I promised mister Joe I was would go back and see him and help him so he could come back to the village!"

"No, Annabelle! I don't want you talking to some creepy old hermit that lives out of town!" Being told she couldn't go back and see mister Joe made Annabelle upset.

"That's not fair! Your mean daddy! Not all people are bad like Honest John and Stromboli!" Annabelle shouted. This made Pinocchio angrier at her.

"Don't you talk like that, young lady! I'm your father, and you'll do as I say!" He said loudly.

"Pinocchio! Annabelle!" Julianna tried to intervene but they ignored her.

"No! I won't listen to something who thinks all people are bad and can't be trusted! I hate you! " Annabelle started to cry and ran upstairs to her bedroom door and they heard her slam door.

"I think you were a bit too hard on her, Pinocchio!" Said Julianna thinking he was being too harsh unfair correcting his daughter.

"I have to agree with Julianna, Pinoke," said Jiminy. "You're being too overprotective of her again. I understand your upset, but yelling isn't the way to teach her what's best."

"She has to learn that there are consequences for not listening!" Pinocchio insisted. "She deliberately skipped school, and trusted a stranger!"

"As I recall, Pinocchio, you played hooky from school quite a few times when we were young, and talked to strangers when Geppetto told you not to!" Hearing this, Jiminy turned to his friend in surprise. Pinocchio became even more upset when she said this out loud.

"Excuse me, Miss Antonio! But I don't you to bringing of my childhood or telling me how to raise my kid!" Julianna felt greatly offended by this. Pinocchio had never called her by her last name or talked to her so rudely.

"Fine then! I suppose I'll leave! Goodbye!" She then furiously walked out the door. Realizing he had upset his friend, Pinocchio's anger subsided and he felt guilty for letting his temper get out of control.

"That was very rude of you to speak to her like that!, Pinoke," Jiminy stated folding his arms and tapping his foot. "All because you were embarrassed that she mentioned you misbehaving when you were a boy. You ought to be ashamed of yourself young man!" Pinocchio bowed his head and sighed.

"You're right, Jiminy. I didn't mean to get so angry at Annabelle and Julie. I should go and apologize to her." Pinocchio knew he had to do so he hurried out the door after Julianna. Jiminy hopped upstairs to check on Annabelle. He squeezed under the door and saw her sitting on the bed with her shoes off crying and Figgy was trying comfort her. The cricket hopped onto the bed and approached her slowly.

"Annabelle? Are you all alright? " He said calmly. The puppet girl lifted her head and saw him standing between her feet.

"I'm sorry, Jiminy," She sobbed. "I gave in to temptation again and made daddy mad. I never should have run away from the police or gone with that old fisherman." Jiminy offered Annabelle his handkerchief which used to blow her nose and dry her eyes.

"I am disappointed that didn't listen to your conscience and gave into temptation," Jiminy replied. "But I'm glad you realized your mistakes and hopefully this teaches you a lesson."

"Yes, Jiminy," She nobbed her head in reply. "I heard daddy yelling at Miss Julieanna. Is he mad at her too?"

"She thought Pinocchio was being too unfair with you and he said acted rude to her and she left. But he's gone to apologize and should be back soon."

"Didn't have to be some mean and angry!" Annabelle scowled.

"He's not mean, Annabelle," Jiminy stated. "He just doesn't want anything to happen to you because of all the things he went through when he was a boy. You know he loves you." Annabelle felt guilty for yelling at Pinocchio.

"What should I do, Jiminy?" Annabelle asked.

"When your father returns, you should apologize to him for yelling and being disrespectful." Jiminy insisted.

MeanWhile, Pinocchio hurried into town to catch up with Julianna. After searching through the crowd of people, he spotted her passing by the bakery and ran towards her.

"JULIE! WAIT!" He called out frantically. Hearing his voice, Julianna stopped and turned around to see Pinocchio walking up to her with a sorrowful look in his eyes.

"What do you want?" She said in an angry tone still upset at him for earlier. Pinocchio breathed calmly and told her what he wanted to say.

"Julie, I...I wanted to apologize for what I said to you. You were right. I was being too hard on Annabelle. I shouldn't have been so angry and acted like a jerk to you. Can you ever forgive me?" Julianna was still a little upset with Pinocchio, but after hearing him apologize she couldn't stay mad at him.

"Its alright, Pinocchio," she said walking up and putting her hand on his shoulder. "I understand how hard it is trying to be a good parent and wanting of your child."

"I just don't want to lose her like I lost my father," Pinocchio explained.

"I understand, Pinocchio," said Julianna understandingly. "I went through the same thing with Alexandra. But you can't shield her from everything. You should give her more freedom. And she's going to make mistakes as you did."

"Your right. Thanks, Julie," Pinocchio smiled. "Your very smart and beautiful woman, and loving mother." Julianna's face turned red and she started to blush.

"Why, thank you, Pinocchio. That's very sweet of you." She leaned closer and gave him a kiss on his right cheek. Pinocchio was a bit surprised by this and didn't know what to say. Having made up amends, Pinocchio and Julianna made their by back to the house. When they entered the house, Pinocchio called for his daughter and came downstairs to the living room along with Jiminy and Figgy.

"Y-Yes, Daddy?" Said answered excepting to be scolded again. But instead, Pinocchio smiled, kneeled down and put rested his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry for being angry at you, my little wooden princess," Pinocchio said calmly. "I made a lot of the same mistakes you did when I was a boy, shouldn't have been so hard on you. Can you forgive me?" Hearing him apologize, Annabelle smiled and hugged tightly.

"I forgive you, Daddy. And I'm super sorry about skipping school and going to the fishermen's boathouse. I promise I won't talk to or go places with strangers again." Pinocchio was glad to hear her say this and hoped she meant it. Julianna and Jiminy were glad to see Pinocchio and his daughter had reached common ground with each other.

"I suppose this means your ungrounded," Pinocchio said regrettably. "From now on you may walk around town freely without an escort. And If you want to help that old man then you have my permission to so."

"Really? Oh, thank you, daddy." Annabelle cheered with excitement. "But I think I'll wait till Alex and Toby are better. I want to introduce them to mister Joe."

"You have a very big heart, Annabelle," said Julianna. "Just like your father."

"Thank you, Miss Julianna," Annabelle walked over and hugged her too. Julianna smiled and patted the puppet girl's head.

The next morning, Annabelle walked to school on her own for the first time since the day she met the cons. However, she knew Miss Lorraine wouldn't be upset with her for playing hooky the previous day. When she arrived, the teacher looked displeased. But when Annabelle told her Andre and his friends tricked her, Miss Lorraine understood and gave the bullies detention instead. Annabelle walked over to Toby sitting at his desk. His eyes were still black and blue from the fight.

"I'm sorry, Toby," Annabelle said sorrowfully. "It's my fault you got in hurt and got in trouble with your parents."

"Its alright, Annabelle," Toby replied. "I should have insisted on us going to school yesterday like Alex would have done."

"It was my fault too. I shouldn't have persuaded you to take me to the ocean to look for the fisherman. Because of me, you got hurt. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Of course, I forgive you. That's what friends do," He said with a smile. Annabelle waited till after class, then explained to Toby how the police thought she attacked him and chased her and how she met mister Joe, the Fishermen. "Wow! So the Fisherman is real?" At first, he didn't believe her, but he knew she was honest.

"Uh-huh, but he's not a big scary monster. He's just a poor lonely old hermit that everyone thought was an ugly monster. That's why he left town." Annabelle explained to her friend.

"I see. Do you think you could take me and Alex to meet him sometime?" Toby asked.

"Sure! When Alex comes feels, we'll all go see mister Joe together, and we'll try and help him so he can come back to town." Toby nodded in agreement with Annabelle's plan and could hardly wait to meet the old green fishermen.

End of Chapter 16


	17. Chapter 17 Old Joe's new home

Chapter 17 Old Joe's new home

Annabelle waited several days for Alexandra to recover from her illness. When Alex finally felt better, she arrived at Pinocchio's house to see her friend Annabelle related to her everything that had happened while she was sick. Alex felt guilty for not being there to steer Annabelle on the right path and falling for Andre's scheme of skipping school. But when the puppet girl told her about meeting the mythical green-skinned fishermen she still found it skeptical even though she knew her friend was speaking the truth because Annabelle's nose had not grown.

"Did you really meet him?" Alex asked still unconvinced.

"I'm telling the truth, Alex," Annabelle insisted. "Mister Joe is no myth and is not a monster! He's just poor lonely old hermit living alone because everyone in town thought he was ugly and frightening!"

"That's awful," Alex stated. "My mother says you should never judge someone by their appearance. Just because someone looks ugly or bad doesn't mean they are."

"I felt sad for him, so I told mister Joe I'd be his friend, and that I'd try and help him so he can come back and live in the village again."

"How are you that, Annie?" Alex inquired.

"Well, I was thinking about bringing him here to my house so he can meet Daddy and Jiminy. Maybe they'll know how to help him."

"That sounds like a good idea. Maybe My mom could help too. I'll bring her here to meet this mister Joe. Do you think I could go with you to see him?"

"Sure, Alex. I asked Toby, and he said he'd like to come too. We'll all go to his house tomorrow after school." Alex agreed with Annabelle's plan and hurried home to tell her mother while Annabelle went to see Toby and inform him of their mission.

The next day after school had ended, Annabelle and Figgy led Alex and Toby to shore where the Fisherman lived. When they arrived at the old shipwrecked steamboat, the boy and girl felt a bit uneasy. But Annabelle assured them there was nothing to fear. They followed her onto the boat and walked to the main cabin. Annabelle knocked on the door and waited no there was no answer.

"Mister Joe! It's me, Annabelle!" I've brought some friends to see you!" She called out but there was no reply.

"Maybe he's not home right now, Annie." Said Alex.

"Maybe he's out fishing," Toby suggested. "He is a fisherman, so maybe he's catching his dinner." No sooner had he said this, a green figure suddenly appeared behind them.

"Ahoy there, me little wooden friend!" Alex and quickly Toby spun around and were frightened to death at the sight of Mister Joe. Annabelle showing no fear smiled, walked up to the fishermen and shook his green hand.

"Hello, Mister Joe. These are my two best friends, Alexandra and Tobias," Annabelle introduced.

"Welcome aboard me ship, little mateys!" He said to the children. Alex and Toby were still shocked seeing the mythical Fisherman they didn't believe was real. At first, they were too afraid to say anything until Alex finally spoke.

"H-Hello, Mister Joe, sir," She said nervously and tried to be polite. "Nice to meet you."

"Its honor to met you, Mister Fisherman," Toby mustard up the courage and shook his hand. The old man was delighted to have more children visit him but could tell they were bewildered by her appearance.

"I promise you kids, have nothing to be afraid of," he told them. "I may a have face that strikes fears in your little hearts, but I'd never hurt a soul." The children sighed with relief when they said this.

"See, I told you guys he was a nice man." Said Annabelle.

"Would you all like to come and have some of these Tuna I just caught?" Mister offered them holding up a bunch of fish he had caught.

"Actually mister Joe, we came here to invite you to my house," Annabelle explained. "My daddy mister Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket, and Alex's mom Miss Juliana are would like to meet you." The fisherman was surprised by the puppet girl's invitation to go back to town with her.

"Oh, I'm not so sure that's a good idea, little wooden lady," He said with hesitation. "If the townspeople see me they might get frightened and run away in fear."

"You don't know that they will happen, Mister Joe!" Alex stated. "People in the village today are used to seeing strange things like living puppets and animals that were clothes and walk and talk like us.

"She's right, Mister Fisherman!" Toby added. "The town has changed a lot after you've been gone. There are many new things and food and wine. Things you've haven't had in a long time."

"You could use some new clothes too," Alex said looking at his tattered hat, shirt, jacket, and trousers.

"Please, Mister Joe! Come back to town with us!" Annabelle pleaded. The fishermen felt perhaps he had lived in solitary for far too long and thought it was time to leave the shore behind and return to his real home in town.

"Alright, little mates. I'll come with back ya." He finally agreed. "I'm curious to see how much the town has changed in over fifty years."

"Yeah! Come on! Let's go right now!" Annabelle cheered, grabbed the fishermen's hand and pulled him along. The children then Mister Joe back to town. As they entered the village and few of the townspeople noticed him and stared in surprise. They had never seen a person that looked like him before.

"Who's that green man walking with those kids?" Said Women standing her children.

"He looks like an old sea captain," said a man.

"Look, mommy!" Said a young boy with excitement. "It's the green fishermen the kids at school were talking about!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Tony! That's just an old man with a skin condition!" The mother corrected her son. Not many of the townspeople seemed frightened or bothered by the fisherman's appearance since they we're used to seeing unexplainable things. Mister Joe was amazed at how much different the village looked since he had been gone.

"Say! What are these big metal poles?" The fisherman asked.

"Those are oil lamps," Alex explained. "They keep the town lite at night. We use them to light up our houses too."

"In my days, people carried lanterns around town to see at night and used candles in our homes. Times sure have changed in this old town." Soon they arrived at Pinocchio's house. Annabelle went inside and Pinocchio and Jiminy were sitting in the living room having tea with Juliana.

"Daddy! Jiminy! I brought Mister Joe the Fisherman to visit!" At first, they didn't believe her until the green man entered the house. Pinocchio and Juliana were both startled and surprised to see the mythical Fisherman Geppetto told them about when they were kids was real. Jiminy wasn't bothered because he had seen strange people on his travels.

"Pleased to meet you, folks!" Said the fishermen tipping his hat.

"W-Welcome to our house, Mister Fisherman sir," Pinocchio tried to sound polite. "I'm Pinocchio, Annabelle's father. And these are my good friends Jiminy Cricket and Miss Juliana." Mister Joe was delighted to meet the little cricket and beautiful women. Pinocchio offered him a chair and made him a cup of tea.

"Thank ye, young lad," said Mister Joe. "Its been a long time since I've had a nice cup of tea." Annabelle and the children all sat down in the living room as Pinocchio and Juliana talked with fishermen.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Joe Fisherman," said Pinocchio. "My father Geppetto told me lots of stories about you when I was a boy, but I never believed they were real."

"You seem like a very nice man," Juliana added. "Annabelle told us how you left the village because everyone thought you were a terrifying monster."

"Ho ho ho! Yes, many tall tales were told about me," said the fisherman with a chuckle. "But in truth, I'm just an old fisherman like me father was."

"That's good to know," Pinocchio stated.

"So daddy, do you think we can help mister Joe?" Annabelle inquired.

"Well, Annabelle, I'm really sure how exactly we can help him," Pinocchio said unsure of what to do.

"We can help this man by first getting him some new clothes and finding him a place to live," Jiminy suggested.

"That's a splendid idea, Jiminy," Juliana agreed. "We'll take him to the Taylors for some clothes then we'll look for a suitable home for him."

"You people are too kind." Said Mister Joe delighted by Pinocchio and Juliana's kindness. "If you folks can help me I'll be forever in your debt."

Pinocchio led everyone to the Taylor shop where he introduced the Fisherman to his father's old friend. The Taylor was bit startled by mister Joe's appearance especially his ragged captain's outfit. But being the kind man he was, He helped the old man pick out some more casual clothes and even offered to fix up his old worn-out ones free of charge. When the fishermen walked out of the shop he looked like a new man. Now all they had to do was find him a house to live. While Pinocchio and Juliana looked around for houses that were for sale, Annabelle, Jiminy, and their friends showed mister Joe around and introduced him to the neighbors. A few school children noticed them and curiously approached.

"Look, guys! It's him! The green fisher! I told you he's real!" Angelo shouted! When the other children heard this they became frightened.

"There's no need to afraid, everyone," Annabelle told them. "Mister Joe is a nice old man and not a big scary monster."

"Hello, little kiddies!" The fishermen smiled friendly and waved. Angelo and the children were surprised he didn't want to carry their off to his lair and cook them for supper like in the stories they had heard.

"You see, kids? Just because someone looks different, doesn't mean their monsters," Jiminy explained. "This man just wants to be treated like everyone else in this town."

"Jiminy's right!" Annabelle agreed with him. "Let's all be his friends!"

"Ha Haha! He looks like a freak to me!" Said a rude voice. It was Andre and his friends Thomas and Melissa.

"Ya! That ugly old man looks like he belongs in the circus!" Melissa agreed and laughed.

"Go back where you came from your hideous coot! We don't want your kind in our town!" Thomas taunted the fishermen.

"Shiver me timbers! Why I've never been so insulted in me life!" The fisherman said angrily.

"Stop making fun of him you jerks!" Annabelle shouted angrily at the bullies. "Mister Joe is not an ugly freak!"

"That was rotten of you getting Annabelle in trouble with the police, Andre!" Toby growled at the leader.

"Ya! Why do you guys always have to show up and start causing trouble for others?" Alex asked. Mister Joe didn't like the way these children were insulting him and being mean to Annabelle and her friends.

"Now you listen here, Ye little scallywags! You should learn to respect your elders and not bully younger kids!" He scolded them. "Didn't your parents teach you manners?" Andre, Thomas, and Melissa weren't afraid of him and just laughed. Suddenly they heard whistleblowing and turned to see a policeman coming. It was a tall, muscular man with a grey handlebar mustache and beard wearing a blue uniform, boots, cape, and a Napoleon hat.

"Hold it right there, You little thieves!" He shouted furiously.

"Its a cop! Let's beat it!" Andre and his friends took off running. Unfortunately, the policeman couldn't catch up with them and nearly faint from exhaustion. Annabelle and Alex ran over to see if the man needed help.

"Are you alright, Mister policeman, Sir?" Alex asked him.

"I'm fine, little laddies," he replied catching his breath. "Those vandals robbed the candy store! I'm getting too old to be chasing after misbehaving children!"

"Those brats are always causing trouble wherever they go!" Jiminy exclaimed. The fishermen looked at the policemen's face and thought he recognized him.

"Say! You look familiar to me!" The policeman looked at Mister Joe and a big smile appeared on his face.

"Old Green beard Joe! I haven't seen you in over fifty years!" The fisherman soon realized this man was an old friend he knew all too well.

"Well, blow me down! Its old Gendarme! Long time no see me, old chum!" The fisherman laughed and threw his arm over the man's shoulder delighted to see a familiar face.

"Do you know this policeman, Mister Joe?" Annabelle asked.

"I sure do! This is officer Gendarme! He's a famous policeman known for catching the most ruthless criminals! He also used to be me old fishing mate and we caught lots of fish together."

"Ah yes, I remember those good old days back when I was younger," said Gendarme reminiscing about the past. "So where have ya been all these years, old friend?"

"Mister Joe has been living alone at the shore because everyone in town thought he was a big scary monster!" Annabelle explained how she met the fisherman and that she was trying to help him.

"That's very kind of you, little puppet girl," the policeman smiled and patted Annabelle's head. "Its good to see you back in town old green beard Joe. The townspeople are much nicer and more accepting of people being different now."

"Its good to see you too, old friend." Said the fisherman happily.

"I'd be going now. I've got criminals to catch! Including those slippery con artists, Honest John and Gideon! Farewell!" And with that, he hurried off. No sooner had he left, Pinocchio and Juliana appeared.

"Annabelle! Children!" Pinocchio called to them. "We found a place for Mister Joe to stay!" Annabelle, Alex, and Toby said goodbye to their classmates and followed the adults to an old looking house close to the local tavern.

"This was the cheapest house we could find," Juliana explained. "The landlord said its a decent home and just needs a little cleaning up." When they walked inside and the place was covered in dust and cobwebs. There was a living room, with a fireplace, a Kitchen with a Table, a stove, and a sink. And upstairs a bedroom with a wardrobe and a large bed.

"What do you think of the house, Mister Joe?" Annabelle asked the fisherman.

"It's certainly better than that old ferry boat I been living on for the past ten years." He replied. "I suppose it will do for now."

"We'll all pitch in and help clean it for you!" Said Alex.

Satisfied with his new home, The fisherman decided to go back to the ferry to collect his fishing supplies and spent one more night on the boat. In the morning, Annabelle and her friends came to help him carry everything back to the village. Pinocchio, Juliana, and the children then spent the whole sweeping, dusting, and washing the house and by evening it was all cleaned up and looked brand new. Mister greatly appreciated what these people had done for. Never had he seen such kindness in all his life.

"I can't thank ye enough for everything you and your daughter have done to help, Toymaker!" said Mister Joe said to Pinocchio. "I swear I'll find a way to repay my debt to you and your family and friends someday."

"Your welcome, Mister Fisherman, Sir," Pinocchio replied shaking his hand. "We'll call upon you if we ever need your help."

"My friends and I will come to visit you, Mister Joe!" Said Annabelle happily.

"We'd better all be getting home now," Juliana insisted. "Let the fisherman settle into his new home." The group bid Mister Joe goodbye and returned to their own homes.

"I'm very proud of you, my little wooden princess for helping that old man," Pinocchio said with a big smile.

"Yes, and so am I!" Jiminy agreed. "You showed that man that not all people are cruel and judgmental. You've proven that you have a good and noble heart."

"Thanks, Daddy, and Jiminy." Annabelle was glad she was able to help the fisherman. She hoped he would be happy living in the village and would never be lonely again.

End of Chapter-17 


	18. Chapter 18 Pinocchio's First Date

Chapter 18 Pinocchio's first date

In was a bright sunny morning, and Pinocchio had just finished making eggs and pancakes for breakfast. After eating, Annabelle left for school with little Figgy, and Jiminy while Pinocchio opened the shop for the day. Throughout the morning, a few customers came and bought some clocks, and toys for their children and departed. Pinocchio made a good bit of money from his sales. At around lunchtime there was a knock at the door, Pinocchio answered it and was greeted by his friend, Juliana.

"Good afternoon, Pinocchio." She greeted him with a beautiful smile. Pinocchio stared at her face and was memorized by her beauty. "Pinocchio? Are you alright?" Pinocchio quickly snapped out of his daze.

"Oh! huh...Yes! Sorry, Julie, Please, Come on in." Pinocchio led her into the house, and she sat down in the living room while he paired some tea. Figaro came over, jumped on the couch and laid in her lap.

"Hello, Figaro." Juliana had known Figaro since he was a kitten back when Geppetto was alive and Pinocchio was a boy. She would always play with him when she came to visit the shop and old Figaro was still very fond of her. Pinocchio returned with some tea for his guest and sat down to talk with her.

"I guess you're not working at the bakery, eh, Julie?" Pinocchio asked.

"That's right, Pinocchio. It's my day off, so I thought I'd stop by and ask if you'd like to have lunch together and maybe do a little shopping then go collect the girls from school."

"I'd be delighted, Julie," Pinocchio replied. "I've been working on clocks and toys all day, and I could use a break." When they finished drinking their tea, Pinocchio hurried to the workshop and put his tools away while Juliana waited outside. When he finally came out, he put up the closed sign, locked the front door, and started walking into town with Juliana. As they walked together they pasted a couple of shops and suddenly, Juliana stopped in front of a shoe store.

"Look at those beautiful shoes!" Juliana was looking at a pair of light purple heels with flower ornaments on them. "Oh! But I don't have enough money to buy them." She frowned sadly. Pinocchio hated to see her upset.

"If you want them, Julie, I'll buy them you for." he generously offered.

"Oh, Pinocchio, that's very sweet of you!" They went inside the shop, and Juliana tried on the shoes and they fit her perfectly. Pinocchio paid for the shoes and he and Juliana continued walking together.

"Do you like your new shoes?" Pinocchio asked looking down her feet.

"I certainly do, Pinocchio," Juliana replied admiring her new shoes. "They're very comfortable. No one has ever generously bought me something I like." Pinocchio was surprised when she said this. He would have thought her ex-boyfriend would have bought her gifts when they were dating.

"I'm glad you like them, Julie," Seeing Juliana happy made warmed Pinocchio's heart. Soon they arrived at the tavern where they had lunch together. Pinocchio ordered a had a sandwich while Juliana had a nice salad. As they were eating, Pinocchio had something he wanted to tell his friend but was too anxious to say anything. Juliana soon noticed his expression.

"Pinocchio, are you alright?" she asked. "You've been so quiet all day." Pinocchio knew he couldn't hide his feelings for her. He had to tell her the truth about how he felt.

"Julie...uh...there's something I've been meaning to ask for a long time." He said nervously.

"What is it?" Juliana asked.

"Well, I was wondering, would you...uh...would you like to go out dancing tonight?"

"Dancing!" Juliana was surprised by this. "Pinocchio, Are asking you me out?"

"Yes. I've been meaning to ask you out for a while now, but I was too nervous to say anything. If you don't want to, I understand." Juliana thought about it then gave him her answer.

"Pinocchio...I'd love to go dancing with you." She said with a smile. Pinocchio was astonished by her reply.

"You would? That's wonderful! I thought you maybe you wouldn't want to go out with other men after what happened with you and Eugene."

"I know. I haven't gone out with another man since Alex's father left me and married my best friend Christina. But I've decided to forget about them and move on for my daughter's sake. I think I'm ready to give love another chance."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Julie. So, how about we go to the dance club at around seven?"

"That sounds wonderful. But who's going to watch the girls while we're gone?"

"Jiminy can watch over Annabelle and Alex. They can have a sleepover while we go out for the evening."

"Ok then." After they had finished eating, Pinocchio and Juliana walked to the schoolhouse to pick up their daughters and tell them their plans. When they arrived, Annabelle and Alex were the first ones out.

"Girls, Juliana and I have good news," Pinocchio announced.

"What is it, daddy?" Annabelle asked.

"Pinocchio and I are going out on a date tonight," Juliana explained.

"Really, Mom! That's wonderful!" Alex was overjoyed and hugged her mother.

Yeah!" Annabelle cheered and starting dancing around in circles.

"Congratulations, Pinoke. I'm glad to hear you two are finally going out." Said Jiminy.

By the way, Jiminy. Would you mind watching Annabelle and Alex for us?" Pinocchio asked his best friend.

"Sure thing Pinoke, I'll keep an eye on the girls for you. You can always count on me." Jiminy smiled and winked.

"You'll be staying at Pinocchio's house with Annabelle tonight, Alex, is that alright?" Juliana asked her daughter.

"Sure mom. Did Hear that, Annie? We get to have a sleepover at your house!"

"Yippe! That's great, Alex!" Annabelle shouted excitedly. Pinocchio went home to prepare for his first date. He combed his hair and put on one of Geppetto's old suit.

"How do I like, everyone?" He asked Annabelle and Jiminy.

"You look very handsome, Pinocchio," Jiminy winked and gave him a thumbs up. The Figaro and Figgy both smiled and nodded their heads.

"Here, Daddy, I picked these flowers for you to give to Miss Juliana," Annabelle handed him a bunch of flowers.

"Thank you, Annabelle. That's very sweet of you." Pinocchio knelt down and hugged his daughter.

"I'm so proud you, Pinoke. Going on your first date. Are you nervous at all?" Jiminy asked.

"Well...I suppose I am a bit nervous. I've never gone out with a girl before."

"Don't worry. Just be yourself, and so her a good time. Everything will be fine."

"I will, Jiminy," Pinocchio said confidently. Shortly after dinner, Alex and her mother arrived. Juliana was wearing a lovely purple dress, her pearl necklace, and the shoes Pinocchio had bought her earlier. Pinocchio was mesmerized by how beautiful she looked and Juliana thought Pinocchio looked very handsome.

"Ready for our big date?" Juliana asked smiling and blinking her eyes.

"I certainly am. Here, these are for you." Pinocchio replied and handed her the bouquet.

"Aw, how sweet of you! Thank you." Juliana blushed when he handed her the flowers. Alex than rushed into the how with her sleeping gown.

"Ready for our sleepover, Annie?" Alex asked excitedly.

"Yep! We're going to have so much fun!" Annabelle grabbed Alex's hand and led her upstairs so they could start their sleepover.

"You sure the girls will be alright here with just Jiminy Cricket?" Juliana asked.

"No need to worry, Ma'am," Jiminy assured her. "I'll keep an eye on those girls. You two go and have a good time." Jiminy assured her that the girls would be fine with him while the two of them were out.

"Thanks, again, Jiminy. Well, Miss Antonio, shall I escort you to the dance?" Pinocchio asked holding out his hand.

"You most certainly may, Mister Pinocchio." Juliana smiled and blushed. Pinocchio than escorted her out of the house and Jiminy watched till they were gone. It was a calm and serene evening as Pinocchio and Juliana walked together through the town until they arrived at the dance club. Inside was a pub and a stage with a band playing the piano and the accordion. The dance floor had many couples that were dancing to the music. Pinocchio and Juliana walked into the center and danced to the rhythm of the music. Moving left and right, spinning, and tapping their feet.

"I didn't realize you were such a good dancer, Pinocchio!" Said Juliana, as they danced together.

"When I was a wooden puppet, I used to dance all the time. My father taught me how to dance with women in case I ever met one." Pinocchio and Juliana danced for an hour until both their feet were tired and they sat down at a table to rest. Pinocchio ordered some drinks, and the waiter brought the two glasses of wine. "Are you having a good time, Julie?"

"I sure am, Pinocchio. I haven't had this much fun since I was younger and dating Eugene."

"Did he ever take you out dancing?" Pinocchio inquired.

"Only once. But Eugene certainly wasn't as good of a dancer as you are." Pinocchio was flattered by her compliment.

"How about those new shoes? Do they fit ok?" He asked.

"They do. I feel like I could dance all night in them! I appreciate you buying them for me. Eugene rarely ever bought anything I liked." Juliana explained.

"Doesn't sound like he was a good boyfriend," Pinocchio stated.

"Not really. Even when we were dating, he still was always wooing other women. I don't know why I didn't leave him sooner before I became pregnant."

"But then you wouldn't have had Alexandra." Pinocchio reminded her.

"I suppose your right. I just...I couldn't believe he walked out on me because he didn't want to be a father then ran off with another woman. It hurt me a lot." Juliana frowned sadly as she told her story. Pinocchio reached out and laid his hand on hers.

"Julie. Eugene was wrong to do what he did to you and Alex. He could have had a beautiful wife and a daughter to love care for. He was a jerk. I would never hurt you the way he did." Hearing his comforting words brought a tear to Juliana's eye. A warm feeling entered her heart. She hadn't felt this way in years.

"Thank you, Pinocchio. I wish I dated you instead of Eugene. But you were too young to be my boyfriend back then. But now that we're older I'm happy to be on a date with you." After their conversation, Pinocchio and Juliana started dancing again. They danced for another hour till it was getting late and everyone else started to leave. Pinocchio looked at the clock, and it was nearly eleven. They left the club and started walking Juliana's house. Suddenly Pinocchio stopped and looked at his friend.

"Julie. There's something I need to tell you." He said looking into her eyes.

"What is it?" She asked staring back at him.

"I...I..." Pinocchio felt nervous as he tried to speak. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. He then took both her hand and looked her eyes. "Julie. I think I'm in love with you."

"You...you are?" Juliana was surprised when she heard him say this.

"Yes. I've been in love with a sense we started spending time together. I didn't tell you because I thought you were still heartbroken over Eugene. That's why I asked you out. Because I care about you." Juliana stared at him silently for a moment. Tears began leaking from her eyes, and she wrapped her arms around him.

"Oh! Pinocchio! I'm so happy to know how you feel about me! Because I love you too. I've always loved you. I was afraid to love again because I was worried I'd be abandoned again!" She started to sob, and Pinocchio held her tight.

"It's alright, Julie. I will never abandon you. You are a loving mother and a good friend. You were always there for me when I was a boy. And I will always be here for you." Juliana lifted her head and looked Pinocchio in the eyes. The two of them smiled at each other than closed their eyes and pressed lips together and kissed. When they finished, they opened their eyes and laughed.

"Hehe. Thank you, Pinocchio. I had a wonderful evening. This has been the best night of my life."

"As long as your happy, I'm happy, Juliana," Pinocchio replied. "It's getting pretty late. We should probably be getting home to girls." Pinocchio removed his coat and gave it to Juliana as he walked her home. Unaware that a woman in a blue gown was watching them both. She smiled proudly as she watched the Pinocchio walking with his girlfriend.

End of chapter 18 


	19. Chapter 19 The Circus comes to town

Chapter 19 The circus comes to town

It was recess time at school, and Annabelle and her friend Alex were taking turns on the swings.

"Weeee!" Annabelle cheered swinging back and forth with little figgy in her lap. "Isn't this fun, Figgy?"

"It sure is, Annabelle." The kitten replied. When Annabelle was done, she let Alex have a turn. While her friend was swinging, Annabelle noticed over in the in the big field close to the school, was a big red and white striped tent and big caravans and cages.

"Hey, What's going on over there, Alex?" Annabelle pointed to where the big tent was.

"Oh, That's the circus, Annie," Alex replied.

"The circus? What's a circus?" Annabelle asked.

"It's like a big show that comes around once every year for three days to entertain people," Alex explained.

"A show? You mean like mister Stromboli's puppet show?"

"Sorta. But this show has real people and animals doing all kinds of tricks and performances." Annabelle was intrigued by the circus especially when Alex mentioned the animals.

"The circus sounds like fun. Do you think we can go see it, Alex?"

"Sure, Annie. My mom takes me to see it every year. If you ask your dad, I'm sure he'll take you."

"Maybe we can all go together, Alex. You, me, Figgy, Daddy, and your mommy."

"Great idea, Annie. I'll ask my mom when I home."

"Ok. I'll ask Daddy when he comes to pick me up." The bell rang and the girls returned to the classroom with the others. They listened to Miss Lorraine's lectures until it was time to leave. When Pinocchio arrived to collect Annabelle, they walked through the town and noticed a few posters advertising the circus.

"Daddy! Daddy! Do you think we can go to the circus with Alex and her mommy?" Annabelle asked excitedly.

"I haven't been to the circus since I was a boy," Pinocchio said thinking back to when he younger. "Father and used to go see it every year. If Juliana and Alex are going, I suppose we could all go together. What do you think, Jiminy?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me, Pinoke." Jiminy nodded in agreement.

"Hurray! I can't wait to go!" Annabelle cheered and danced merrily around. Pinocchio was glad to see her so happy.

The next day, Annabelle had off from school and went to see her friends Alex and Toby. Jiminy came along to keep an eye on her. While walking through the town, Annabelle noticed a crowd of people in the town square and went to see what was going on. In the middle of the crowd was a girl who looked about to be about ten years old with blonde curly hair wearing a pink dress and shoes. She was balancing on a big bed ball and on her shoulder was a small brown monkey wearing a green hat and bowtie. The girl was playing an organ grinder while the monkey was juggling four tiny balls. Annabelle clapped her hands and applauded. Just then, the monkey noticed her, hopped off the girl's shoulder and came scampering over to the puppet girl and her friends. Little Figgy was frightened by the strange animal and hid behind Annabelle's legs.

"Oh! Hello, there little guy. What kind of animal are you?" Annabelle asked having never seen a monkey before.

"I'm a monkey," The animal answered. "Wait, You can understand me?"

"Uh-huh. I can understand all animals." Annabelle explained to the little ape.

"That's amazing. It's nice to meet someone who can hear what I'm saying."

"Chester! Come here!" The curly-haired girl hopped off the ball and walked over. The monkey obeyed and climbed back onto her shoulder. "I apologize if my little ape friend was bothering you guys."

"He wasn't bothering us," Annabelle replied. "He's a cute little animal."

"Hey, wait a minute! You're a wooden marionette!" The girl exclaimed.

"Yep. My name's Annabelle. And these are my friends Alex, Toby, and this is Figgy, my kitten."

"I'm Jiminy Cricket. I'm Annabelle's conscience." Said Jiminy. "I teach her what's wrong and right."

"My name is Olivia. And this little monkey is my friend, Chester. It's nice to meet you and your friends, Annabelle. By the way, how are you able to walk and talk without strings?"

"That's because Annabelle is special, Miss Olivia," Alex stated. "She was built by her father mister Pinocchio the Toymaker and brought to life by a magical fairy."

"Alex and I are her best friends, and we promised her father we would keep her safe," Toby explained.

"Wow! That's amazing. You have wonderful friends, Annabelle. And I love your little pink kitten." The girl reached out and petted Figgy.

"I like your little monkey friend, Olivia," Said Annabelle happily. "I've never seen an animal like him before. Where did you get him?"

"I got him from the circus. He's my performance partner." Olivia explained.

"Wait! You're with the circus?" Toby asked.

"Yes. My parents are the owners of the circus. We travel from town to town putting on exciting shows to entertain people. Its the greatest circus in the world!"

"Our parents are taking us to see your show when it opens." Said Alex.

"That's wonderful. Hey, How would guys like to come to see it now? I can show you around and introduce you to my parents and the performers and show you some of the other animals."

"That sounds like fun!" Annabelle cheered excitement. "What do you guys think?"

"Sounds like fun to me," Toby stated. "How about you, Alex?"

"A personal tour of the circus? Absolutely!" Alex agreed excitedly.

"Can we go to the circus with Olivia, Jiminy?" Annabelle asked the cricket.

"Well, Alright," Jiminy agreed. "As long as the ringmaster doesn't try and take advantage of what Annabelle is and tries to make her apart of the show."

"Oh don't worry, mister Cricket," Olivia assured him. "My papa's a nice man and never takes advantage of people for looking strange and unusual and try to recruit them for his circus." Jiminy felt the girl was being honest and thought no harm would come to Annabelle as long as her friends were with her.

"Alright then. We all go," Jiminy nodded. Olivia led them back the gang to the big field where the circus was being set up. Annabelle was very excited to see all the performers and animals.

"Welcome back, Miss Olivia." One of the performers walked over and greeted them it was a tall muscular man with a bald head and handlebar mustache. Annabelle and the children were amazed by his size and muscles.

"This is Fred, the Stronge man," Olivia introduced the man. "Hey, Fred, is Papa around? I made friends in town and I'd like to introduce them to him."

"The boss is over in the big top tent with your mother." The man pointed out the large red and white striped tent.

"Ok, thanks, Fred. Come on, guys." The children followed Olivia into the big tent where workers were setting up bleachers and props for the show. Directing the workers were was a man wearing a big jacket and top hat, and a woman wearing a white feathery tutu.

"Papa! Mama! I'm back!" Olivia called to them.

"Ah! Olivia! Welcome back my darling." Said the ringmaster happily.

"Did you and Chester have fun in town?" Asked Olivia's mother.

"We sure did. And I made some new friends. This is Annabelle, and these are her friends, Alex, Toby, and Jiminy Cricket." Annabelle and Alex curtsied and Toby waved.

"By the stars!" The ringmaster gasped. "Do you see what I see Claire?"

"Is...Is that a marionette that's moving on its own without strings?" The woman and her husband stared in amazement at the living puppet girl.

"Sorry, Annabelle, my parents aren't used to seeing puppets that can walk and talk," Olivia added.

"That's ok, Olivia. I'm used to it by now." Annabelle replied.

"Well, anyway it's nice to see you made some friends, Olivia dear." Olivia's mother smiled pleasantly.

"Yes. Welcome to our circus, Olivia's friends. I am the ringmaster Mister Roberto. This is Lady Claire, our star performer, and my beautiful wife."

"It's very nice to meet you, Olivia's mom and dad," Annabelle said politely. "I've never seen a circus before. So I can't wait to see your show."

"Well then, you and your friends are in for a big surprise, little puppet girl," said the ringmaster proudly. "We're about to put on the greatest show this town has ever seen!"

"Chester and I are going to be performing in the show too," Olivia stated.

"Oooh! I can't wait to see your two perform." Annabelle added. Just then, one of the workers walked over to where the ringmaster was standing.

"Pardon me, Mister Roberto," the man inquired.

"What is it, Gerald?" Mister Roberto answered.

"It's those new two workers you hired, sir! They've been slacking off again!" The worker explained.

"You mean those animal fellows? Ugh! Not again!" The ringmaster said in an irritated manner.

"Don't worry, papa, I'll go straighten them out for you," Olivia offered.

"Thank you, sweetie. Tell them that they'd better shape up, or they're fired." Mister Roberto instructed his daughter.

"Got it. Come on, guys." Annabelle and her friends followed Olivia out of the tent to confront the lazy workers.

"Where are we going, Olivia?" Annabelle asked.

"My dad hired these two animal men to help out with setting up the circus, but their lazy and always slacking off."

"Their no good if you ask me," Chester added, but only Annabelle heard him.

"Why doesn't your dad fire them?" Toby asked.

"Cause we need help in setting up our show. But I don't trust those two bums. They're dressed like hobos and are look untrustworthy." The description of these animal people sounded familiar to Jiminy and Annabelle.

"These guys wouldn't happen to be a fox and a cat. Would they?" Jiminy asked curiously. But before Olivia could answer, they turned a corner and saw hobo Fox and Cat standing by a wagon.

"Oh no! It's them!" Annabelle shouted in fear. It was Honest John and his partner Gideon. Annabelle scooped up Figgy, grabbed Olivia's hand and ducked behind a wagon. Alex and Toby hid followed her.

"What's the matter, Annabelle? Do you those two?" Olivia asked.

"That's mister Honest John and Gideon! Their bad guys, Olivia!" Annabelle explained.

"She right, Olivia," Jiminy agreed. "Those two are con artists. They sold Annabelle's father Pinocchio to a greedy puppet master named Stromboli many years ago. They also used her a bait so they could capture him again."

"They also tricked Annabelle's dad and my brother Lampwick to go to a place called Pleasure Island where bad kids turn into donkeys!" Toby said angrily. Olivia was surprised when she learned who these villains were.

"I knew those two were crooks! I better to tell papa about-" But before they could leave, a loud voice spoke to them.

"Well, well, if it isn't Little Miss Annabelle! Long time no see!" Everyone turned to see Honest John and Gideon watching them.

"What are you two doing here?" Annabelle asked them.

"The circus is in town, so we decided to help out to earn some cash." Honest explained. Annabelle and her friends all stared at the fox and cat with distrust.

"You're in big trouble, Mister Foul Fellow!" Olivia exclaimed. "My friends here told me that your both wanted criminals!" Honest became nervous when he heard this. But he quickly thought of a way to explain himself.

"Yes, it's true. We used to be criminals and con artists. But we've decided to change our ways and go straight from now on. Right, Giddy?" The cat nodded his head in agreement. But Annabelle and Jiminy didn't believe them.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" said Annabelle unconvinced. "Daddy and Jiminy told me you're always lying and mislead people!"

"What about my brother?" Toby shouted angrily. "Jiminy told me you tricked him and a bunch of other boys into going to Pleasure island where they were all turned into donkeys!"

"Ah! I thought you looked familiar, young lad," said Honest looking at Toby. "I assure you, we didn't know what became of those poor boys. That wicked coachmen made us search for disobedient kids and took them away. We are truly sorry for your brother's loss."

"Don't you kids believe him!" Jiminy shouted. "These two can't be trusted!" When Gideon saw Jiminy, he took out his hammer, but Honest snatched it away.

"Ah, ah, ah, Gideon! Be nice to the little cricket." He told his partner. Gideon eminently put his hammer away. "Please forgive my partner, Mister Cricket. I promise you, our days of swindling and misleading are over."

"Why should we believe you?" Alex asked. "After everything you did to Annabelle's dad and Toby's brother? You should both be locked up in jail!"

"Come on, guys," Olivia spoke up. "My papa says no matter how bad people were in the past, they deserve a chance to change their ways."

"As much as I hate to admit it," said Jiminy hesitantly. "Olivia is right. Everyone deserves a second chance. Even crooks like these two I guess."

"Well, if Jiminy says we should forgive them, then I do." Annabelle walked up to Honest and Gideon and shook both their hands.

"Thank you, Annabelle, dear." Honest smiled and patted her head. "Please give your father our humblest apologies. We'll never trouble you or your friends again. You have my word." Gideon walked, pulled out a flower from his pocket and gave it to Annabelle as a token of forgiveness.

"Alright. But you guys better keep up with your work and don't try anything sneaky or I'll tell my parents and they'll turn you over to the police." Olivia informed them.

"Of course, miss Olivia. Come, Gideon, we have work to do. Ta, ta, children!" Honest and Gideon left and started moving one of the wagons towards the tent.

"Are you sure it's a good idea letting them work for your circus, Olivia?" Said Annabelle.

"Annie's right," Alex agreed. "Suppose they're up to no good."

"If they are, then I'll tell my papa. But we have to at least give them a chance to prove that they've changed."

"I don't think those two can ever change," Jiminy said remembering all the bad things Honest and Gideon had done to Pinocchio.

"How about we get back to our tour for now, ok?" Olivia suggested.

"Ok," Annabelle replied. Olivia proceeded to show Annabelle and the others around the circus. She introduced them to the performers and trained animals. Annabelle loved seeing all the exotic animals. When she returned home, she told Pinocchio about her new friend but hadn't mentioned Honest John and Gideon to him. Later in the evening, she talked with Jiminy in her room.

"Why didn't you tell him about the cons?" Jiminy asked.

"Sorry, Jiminy. But you how he worries about me. If I told him, he might not take me to see Olivia's show."

"I suppose your right. Besides, if the Foul fellow and Gideon have truly turned themselves around we have to give them a chance."

"Do really believe Honest and Gideon have changed, Jiminy?"

"Of course not! Those two are up to something. I think we should keep an eye on them."

"Good idea." Annabelle agreed. "We'll go back tomorrow and if they're up to something."

"Sounds like a plan," Jiminy agreed.

End of chapter of 19 


	20. Chapter 20 Saving the Circus

Annabelle chapter 20 "Saving the Circus."

The next day, Annabelle and Jiminy ventured back to the circus after learning that Honest John and Gideon were working for Olivia's father. They were sure the cons were up to no good again. Though Honest claimed he and his partner had changed their ways for good, Jiminy didn't believe him. They searched around till they found the hobo fox and cat bringing crates into the big tent.

"There they are, Jiminy!" Annabelle pointed to them. She quietly followed them, ducked behind the entrance and peeked inside. Honest and Gideon were helping to set up props for the show. "Doesn't seem like their doing anything wrong."

"Not yet, Annabelle," Jiminy stated. "If I know those two, their definitely up to something." Just then Annabelle heard someone approaching and turned around to see Olivia.

"Annabelle! What are you doing here?" Olivia asked surprised to see her standing by the entrance to the tent.

"Olivia! I...uh...I wasn't doing anything!" She blurted out. Upon saying this, her nose sparkled and grew a few inches.

"Annabelle! Did your nose get bigger?" Olivia was bewildered when she saw the puppet girl's nose grow.

"Uh...no?" She answered nervously causing her nose to grow again with a small leaf popping up.

"Annabelle! Your lying again! Relax, and tell her the truth." Jiminy told her. Annabelle quickly calmed herself and looked at Olivia.

"I'm sorry, Olivia. I wasn't telling the truth. When I get nervous, I lie and nose gets bigger." Having told the truth her nose became its normal size again. Annabelle sighed with relief.

"That's alright, Annabelle, I didn't mean to make you nervous. I just wanted to know what you are doing here." Olivia inquired.

"Jiminy and I were keeping an eye on Mister Honest John and Gideon to make sure they're not doing anything bad," Annabelle explained.

"I see. Well, after you told me they were criminals, I've been keeping an eye on them myself. I noticed they were carrying a few boxes away from the Circus and though they might be up to something."

"Annabelle! They're coming! Hide!" Jiminy shouted. Annabelle and Olivia both hide as Honest, and Gideon walked came out of the tent and started walking away. The girls followed the Fox and Cat to a familiar-looking caravan that parked away from the Circus grounds.

"Isn't that Mister Stromboli's wagon, Jiminy?" Annabelle asked.

"It sure is, Annabelle," Jiminy nodded. "But I thought it confiscated by the police after Stromboli was arrested."

"That's the caravan they show up in a week ago, and my dad hired them," Olivia explained.

"I'll bet they stole it to get away from the police, those slippery crooks!" Jiminy and the girls slowly approached the back entrance to the caravan and noticed the door was left open. They climbed inside but Honest and Gideon were no were to be seen.

"They're not in here, Jiminy! Where could they be?" Annabelle wondered looking around the room. Olivia noticed a few crates in the corner. She opened them and inside were a bunch of clothes, hats, and shoes, and another box was filled with food.

"Annabelle! These are our costumes and food for the animals! They've been stealing from us the whole time!" Olivia exclaimed angrily.

"But what are they planning to do with all this stuff?" Suddenly, everyone was startled when they heard the door slam shut. Before Annabelle and Olivia knew what was happening, Honest and Gideon appeared and grabbed them. The cons then threw the girls into a large animal cage.

"Ha-ha! You little snoops fell right into our trap!" Laughed Honest John, locking the cage.

"Honest! What do you think you are doing?" Annabelle shouted angrily.

"Let us out of this cage you thieves!" Olivia demanded.

"I'm afraid you ladies aren't going anywhere!" Honest grinned wickedly. "We can't have you telling anyone about our plans."

"Jiminy was right! You two haven't changed at all!" Annabelle shouted at them.

"What are you crooks planning? Why have you been taking our supplies?" Olivia asked.

"If you must know, Miss Olivia. Gideon and I =took those supplies to lure you here and make you our hostage. We're going to use you as leverage for our plans to take over your father's circus!" Honest shared his evil scheme.

"My papa will never give our circus to you! He'll call the police, and you'll both go to jail!" Olivia told them.

"I don't think so! Not unless he wants you back unharmed!" Honest said sinisterly.

"But What do you need me for?" Annabelle asked.

"You're going to be our star performer, Annabelle. Folks will flock to see a live puppet perform in a circus!"

"No, I won't you mean greedy fox! My daddy and my friends will come looking for me, and you'll be sorry!"

"Hahaha! No one is going to find you in here, my dear. By the time Pinocchio or anyone comes looking for you, we will be long gone! You belong to us now, so get used to being in there!" Annabelle grew worried at the thought of being forces to work for the cons.

"How can you be so mean and selfish?" Olivia asked.

"Well, that shows you how low Honest John will stoop! Right, Giddy?" Gideon nodded his head in agreement. "Now if you'll excuse us, Gideon and I have work to do." Honest and Gideon walked outside leaving their prisoners locked in the cage. Annabelle was frightened as the room fell dark and silent but was trying to be brave for her friend. Jiminy soon emerged from Annabelle's pocket.

"So that was their plan along! I knew those crooks were up to no good!" Jiminy said angrily.

"This is not good," Olivia said nervously. "Those criminals are going to force papa to sell them our circus. We'll be out of showbiz and be homeless!"

"Its all my fault," Annabelle frowned sadly. "I'm sorry, Olivia. If we hadn't been spying on Honest and Gideon, we wouldn't have been caught and lock up."

"No, Annabelle! It's not your fault," Olivia told her. "If you hadn't suggested we follow them here, we would never learn what they were planning. We have to find a way out of here!"

"But how, Olivia We've locked it! We're tried in here!" Olivia looked at Jiminy and got an idea.

"Hey, Jiminy! You're small enough to get out. Can you pick the lock?" She asked.

"I'm afraid not, Olivia," Jiminy shook his head. "I tried that once when I attempted to free my pal Pinocchio from a cage that Stromboli locked him in and I failed to unlock it."

"Then we're stuck in here," Annabelle looked like she was about to cry. "I'll never see my daddy or friends again."

"Don't think that, Annabelle!" Said Olivia putting her hand on Annabelle's shoulder. "We'll find a way out of here somehow. I promise."

"I already have a plan," Jiminy stated. "I'm going to slip out through the door and go get help. You girls sit tight till then, Alright?"

"Ok. Please hurry, Jiminy." Annabelle begged him. The cricket hopped down to the floor and squeezed under the door. Once outside He then started running back to town to get help. Being as small as he was, it took Jiminy nearly an hour to get back to town. At first, he thought about getting Pinocchio, but then he spotted Alex and Toby walking together and hopped over to them.

"ALEX! TOBY!" He cried out loud.

"Hey! It's Jiminy!" Alex stated. As he approached, Alex kneeled down, held out her hand and Jiminy jumped into her palm.

"What's the matter, Jiminy?" Toby asked.

"Annabelle is in trouble again!" Jiminy told them. "Honest John and Gideon captured her and Olivia and are holding them as hostages to persuade the ringmaster to turn over his circus to them!"

"Oh no! Poor Annie, and Olivia," Alex said worryingly.

"Those rotten crooks! We have to save Annabelle!" Toby said determinedly.

"What should we do, Jiminy?" Alex asked.

"One of you needs to go tell Pinocchio about Annabelle so he can tell the police. The other will have come with me to help free the girls!" Jiminy instructed them.

"I'll go with you, Jiminy," Toby insisted. "Alex, you go get Annabelle's dad and police!"

"Ok, Toby. You two be careful!" Alex started running get Pinocchio while Jiminy led Toby back to where the girls were being locked up. Back in the caravan, Annabelle and Olivia were sitting in the cage waiting for Jiminy to return with help. An hour had passed, and Annabelle was getting worried.

"I hope Jiminy's return soon," she said feeling frightened. "I don't like being in this cage!"

"There's gotta be a way to escape this cage," Olivia looked around the room and noticed something. "Annabelle! Look! A key!" Annabelle looked and saw a key hanging on a nail by the door. "If we can get it, maybe we can get out of this!"

"But how can we reach it? It's too far away." Olivia then remembered something about Annabelle that might help them escape.

"I think we can reach it. You said that your nose grows when you lie, Right? Well, if you can make it grow long enough, we can reach that key and free ourselves!" Annabelle looked at her nose and didn't like Olivia's plan.

"I can't lie, Olivia! I promised daddy and Jiminy I wouldn't tell lies!" Annabelle explained.

"Please, Annabelle! If we don't get out of here, my family will lose our circus to those crooks!" Olivia pleaded. Annabelle didn't want to make her nose grow, but knowing that Olivia's circus was in trouble, she would have done something she didn't want to do to free herself and her friend. She stood up, started thinking of things to say.

"Alright, here goes. I don't like animals!" She said loudly. When she did, her nose sparkled and grew a few inches. "I love to play hookey from school!" She continued to lie, causing her nose to grow again. "The color of my dress is green!" Annabelle told lie after lie until her nose stretched across the room and was long enough to reach the key. The puppet girl used her hands to move her nose like a broom handle to lift up the key. "I got it, Olivia!"

"Great job, Annabelle! Now bring your nose back down again." Olivia instructed.

"I love animals! I don't like playing hooky from school, and my dress is blue!" She said truthfully, and her nose is growing shorter. Once her nose had returned to normal, Olivia grabbed the key and used it to unlock the cage.

"We're free!" The girls cheered happily hopping down and running for the door. But their relief was cut short when they realized the door wouldn't open.

"Oh no! Honest must have locked the door shut from the outside!" Said Olivia.

"Now how are we going to get out of here?" Annabelle said worryingly. Just then, they heard a familiar voice from outside.

"Annabelle! Annabelle! Are you in there?" Said a voice outside that Annabelle recognized.

"Toby? Toby! Is that you out there?" Annabelle grew excited hearing had come to rescue her.

"Yes, Annabelle. It's me! Are you girls alright?" Toby asked.

"The door is bolted from the outside! We can't get out!" Olivia told him. Toby lifted the board off the door and opened the door. Annabelle was thrilled to see her friend and threw her arms around him.

"Thank you, Toby! Thank you for rescuing us!" She thanked him. A warm fuzzy feeling entered Toby's heart as the puppet girl hugged him.

"I'm just glad you're alright, Annabelle," Toby said with a smile and hugged her back. Olivia could tell this boy had feelings for Annabelle by the way he was smiling and holding her.

"Wait, where's Jiminy?" No soon had Annabelle asked, she noticed the cricket standing on the boy's shoulder.

"I'm right here, Annabelle. How did you girls escape that cage?" Jiminy asked.

"I had to tell a few lies to grow my nose so we could reach the key to free Olivia and myself from the cage, Jiminy. I'm sorry." Annabelle said feeling ashamed of herself for having to tell so many lies.

"That's alright, Annabelle," said Jiminy hopping onto the puppet girl's nose. "You did what you had to do to save Olivia. I'm sure Pinocchio will understand. But right now we have to get back to the circus and stop those swindlers!"

"Did you call the police?" Olivia asked.

"Alex went to get Pinocchio and the police," Toby explained. "They should be on their way."

"Come on, everyone! We have to save Olivia's circus from those bad men!" Annabelle started running, and Toby and Olivia followed her. It was dark by the time the group arrived at the circus. They made their way to the big tent and peeked inside. Honest John and Gideon were talking with the ringmaster and his wife.

"They are probably trying to persuade them to give up the circus in exchange for me!" Olivia added.

"We have to stop them!" Said Annabelle wanting to charge inside.

"Hold on there, Annabelle!" Jiminy stopped her. "If we charge in, then Honest John and Gideon will make a quick escape!"

"But Jiminy, We-"

"He's right, Annabelle," Toby agreed. "We have to think of a plan to hold them until the police get here." The group pondered on what to do when Annabelle got an idea.

"I know! We can get the animals to help!" Annabelle suggested.

"The animals? How can they help us?" Olivia asked not understanding the puppet girl's plan.

"I can talk to the animals and ask them to help us catch Honest and Gideon," Annabelle explained her to the others.

"What do you think, Jiminy?" Toby asked.

"If Annabelle can use her communication powers to convince the animals to listen to her, its worth a try I suppose." Jiminy agreed. Olivia led them to the tent where the animals were kept in their pens and cages. Annabelle explained the situation to Chester and other animals and to Olivia's surprise the lions, tigers, bears, monkeys, and elephants agreed to help them. The kids started freeing the animals, and they all lined up together.

"Alright, everyone! Let's save the circus!" Annabelle led the way, and the animals followed behind her.

"Wow! She's good at getting animals to listen to her!" Olivia stated.

"That kid is full of surprises. She's brave and confident. Just like her father." Jiminy smiled proudly. Inside the big tent, Honest and Gideon were negotiating with the girl master and his wife.

"What have you done with our daughter, Foul Fellow?" The ringmaster demanded angrily.

"She's safe and sound in our caravan, Mister Roberto," Honest assured him. "If you want her back, then all you have to do is sign this contract and turn your circus over to us."

"We'll never sell our circus to a couple of con artists like you two!" Said Lady Claire.

"Then you'll never see your precious daughter again, right Giddy?" Gideon took out a little rag doll that looked like Olivia, placed it on the ground and smashed it with his hammer.

"Alright! Olivia is worth more to us than our circus!" Honest smiled victoriously. He knew the ringmaster and his wife would do anything to get their daughter back and now he had them where he wanted them.

"Good choice. Now then, if you'll just sign here on the dotted line." The fox handed the contract to mister Roberto, but right when he was about to sign, a voice called out.

"Hold it right there, Honest John!" Everyone turned to see Annabelle standing by the entrance along with Olivia and Toby.

"Don't sign that contract, Papa!" Olivia yelled to her father.

"Olivia! You're safe!" Lady Claire said with relief seeing her daughter unharmed.

"WHAT!?" Honest shouted in surprise. "How did you brats escape from our caravan?"

"My friend Toby here came and set us free," Annabelle replied.

"The police are on their way, Fowl Fellow!" Olivia told them. "Give yourselves up!" Realizing their plans had been foiled, Honest and Gideon made a run for the exit.

"Stop those crooks!" Mister Roberto shouted. When Honest and Gideon exited outside they found their escape route blocked by the Lions, Tigers, Bears, elephants, and monkeys.

"Where did all these animals come from?" said Honest. The fox and cat cowered at the sight of the angry beasts.

"Alright, gang, let's get those bad animal men!" said Chester the monkey, and the other animals all charged. Honest and Gideon panicked ran for their lives. The animals chased them around the Cirus grounds. The turned a corner and ran straight into an open animal cage. Toby and Olivia appeared and the closed the door trapping the fox and cat inside.

"Ha! You crooks ran right into our trap!" Toby laughed in triumph. Annabelle and the other came out and gathered around the cage.

"I can't believe this!" Honest grumbled, "No one has ever caught us before!"

"Now you two know how it feels to be locked up!" Annabelle stated.

"Curses!" Honest groaned. "Foiled by a wooden puppet and a bunch of circus animals!"

"I never thought I'd see the day these two clowns finally got caught," Jiminy stated.

"Thanks for helping us capture these two crooks, everyone," Annabelle thanked the animals.

"We're glad to help you, Miss Annabelle," The animals gathered around the puppet girl and she gave them all a friendly hug. The circus workers then escorted the animals back to their pens. Soon Pinocchio and Alex arrived with the police led by Mister Gendarme.

"Annabelle!" Pinocchio shouted and Annabelle flew into his arms. "I was so worried! Are you and Jiminy alright?"

"I'm alright, Daddy," Annabelle replied.

"Me too, Pinoke," Jiminy added.

"When Alex told me Honest John and Gideon had captured you both, I was afraid I'd lose you both."

"I was afraid too, Daddy. But Toby rescued me and Olivia and we caught mister Honest and Gideon." Pinocchio looked at Toby and smiled.

"I can't thank you enough for rescuing my little girl, Tobias." Pinocchio smiled at the boy.

"Just looking out for Annabelle like I promised, Mister Pinocchio sir," Toby replied.

"I'm glad your safe too, Annie," Said Alex giving her friend a hug. They all turned around to see Honest and Gideon being escorted into a wagon by the police. Mister Gendarme walked up to Annabelle and smiled proudly.

"Thank you, little puppet girl, for helping us capture these elusive criminals. We've been hunting them for fifteen years, and now they going to jail where they belong."

"You're welcome, Mister Policeman," Annabelle smiled back at him. She then watched as the police handcuffed the fox and Cat and led them back to town in a carriage.

"Glad to see those two finally getting what they deserve after all these years, eh, Pinoke?" Jiminy asked hopping onto Pinocchio's shoulder.

"Me too, Jiminy," Pinocchio agreed watching the police take the fox and cat away. After they left Olivia walked over accompanied by her parents.

"Miss Annabelle, we can't you enough for saving not only our daughter and our circus as well." said the Ringmaster. "We are truly grateful."

"Yes, Thank, you little puppet girl," Lady Claire said with a smile. "And your little friends too."

"Your welcome mister Roberto and miss Claire," Annabelle replied happily. "Olivia is my friend, and I do anything to help my friends." Olivia walked over and gave her a hug.

"Thank you, Annabelle," she said with a smile.

"I'm very proud of you Annabelle, for helping these people," Pinocchio stated.

"You have an amazing daughter, Mister Pinocchio sir," said the ringmaster. "If it weren't for her, we might have lost everything including our little Olivia."

"Your very welcome, Mister Roberto," Pinocchio replied. "But we'd better be getting these kids home now. Their parents are probably worried about them."

"We hope you'll all come to see our circus tomorrow, Annabelle," Olivia stated.

"We sure will, Olivia," Pinocchio started leading the children back to the village. Upon returning to the workshop, Annabelle and Jiminy explained to Pinocchio everything that happened at the circus.

"Thanks for looking out for Annabelle, Jiminy," said Pinocchio.

"It's my job, Pinoke," Jiminy stated.

"I'm sorry not telling you about mister Honest John and Gideon, Daddy," Annabelle said hugging her father. "When I was in that cage I was scared I wouldn't see you again."

"Don't worry, Princess, they're in jail now, and will never both us or anyone ever again," Pinocchio said picking her up.

"Can we still go to the circus with Alex, Toby, and miss Juliana tomorrow?"

"Of course we can," Pinocchio said with a smile.

The next evening, Pinocchio, Annabelle, and Jiminy met up with Juliana, Alex, Toby, Claudia, and Roman and all of them walked to circus along with everyone else in the village. When they arrived, they bought some cotton and popcorn and sat in the front row and waited for the show to start. After all the guests had arrived, Mister Roberto came out and stood in the center of the tent.

"Ladies, and Gentlemen, boys, and girls!" He said loudly. "Welcome to the greatest circus in the world! Tonight we'll be showing you the most amazing performances you won't see anywhere else in the world! And so without rather a due, let begin our show!" The show started with the clowns coming out and performing silly stunts that made everyone laugh. Mister Fred the strongman demonstrated his strength by lifting heavy barbells, and then the animal trainers had the lions, tigers, and bears jumping through rings of fire and leaping over obstacles. Next up were Lady Claire and the acrobats walking on tight ropes and swinging from handlebars. The audience cheered with amazement at the performances. For the last act, Olivia came out riding a unicycle with her monkey Chester on her shoulder. Annabelle and her friends watched with excitement as their friends rode her unicycle up a tight rope and onto a high wire above a pool of water. She rode back and forth playing her music box while Chester juggled five red balls while doing summersaults.

"How is she doing that?" Annabelle asked looking up at her friend.

"She must be very talented," Jiminy stated.

"I hope she doesn't fall," Alex said worryingly.

Suddenly Olivia stopped peddling and started to wobble and it looked like she was about to fall off. To everyone's astonishment, she jumped off and right as the unicycle fell down into the pool and she opened an umbrella and gently floated down to the ground.

"Wow! That was super cool!" Annabelle exclaimed. Pinocchio and the others applauded as the Olivia bowed to the audience. Her parents joined her and raised their hands.

"We hope you enjoyed our show!" Said the ringmaster.

"Thank you all for coming, and we look forward to performing here again next year!" Added lady Claire. After the show ended, everyone exited the tent and started walking back to the village.

"Did you kids have fun?" Pinocchio asked.

"We sure did, Daddy," Annabelle replied happily.

"That was a wonderful show, wasn't it mom?" Alex asked her mother.

"It certainly was, dear," Juliana smiled.

"We enjoyed it as well, didn't we boys?" Claudia asked her husband and son. Roman and Toby both nodded in agreement.

"We should all be getting home now, it's getting late and you kids have school tomorrow," Jiminy stated.

"Jiminy's right. Come on everyone." Pinocchio led everyone back to town and after everyone went their separate ways home, returned to the workshop. Annabelle was still a bit excited from the circus but eventually became tired and fell asleep. When Annabelle, Alex, and Toby came back the next day, the big tent was being taken down and everything was being loaded into the wagons. They looked around until they found Olivia and Chester.

"Olivia, are you leaving?" Annabelle asked.

"That's right, Annabelle," Olivia stated. "It's time to move on to the next town." Annabelle felt sad hearing that her friend would be leaving.

"Aw, I wish you could stay longer," she said frowned sadly. "I liked hanging out with you and we loved your act last night."

"I liked hanging out with you too," Olivia agreed. "You guys are the first friends I've had outside of the circus. But I have to go where my family goes."

"It was great meeting you, Olivia," said Alex.

"We really enjoyed your circus," Toby added. Annabelle walked up to Olivia and gave her a hug.

"I'll miss you, Olivia." Annabelle started to cry a little.

"I'll miss you too, Annabelle," Olivia replied. "I can't thank you enough for saving my circus. But don't feel sad, we'll be back again next year." Annabelle smiled upon hearing this.

"Ok. Maybe when you come back and visit, I'll be a real girl like you." Annabelle smiled.

"Here, I want you to have this to remember me by." Olivia removed a red, gold, and green beaded necklace she was wearing and handed it to Annabelle.

"Thanks, Olivia, I love it." Annabelle accepted the gift and put it on.

"Olivia! It's time to go!" Lady Claire called out to her.

"Alright, mama!" Olivia replied then returned to her friends. "Goodbye, Annabelle, Alex, and Toby. I'miss you all."

"Goodbye, Annabelle," said Chester waving his hand. "The other animals and I will miss you too."

"I'll miss you guys too, Chester," Annabelle replied happily. "Tell the animals I look forward to seeing them again."

"I sure will." The monkey nodded.

"Bye, everyone." Olivia bid farewell to everyone and walked away climbing into the big wagon with her parents. Annabelle and her friends went to the top of the hill and watched as the circus wagons drove off into the distance. Annabelle still felt a little sad seeing her new friends leave. But she looked forward to the day the circus returned.

End of Chapter 20 


	21. Annabelle progression update

I apology for not posting more chapters of my story but I'm still working on improving chapters 21 through 25 and making them better and am currently working on ch26. I've been laid back from my stories due to the COVID and everything else going on in thworld right now but I'm back and finally working on my story again and I'm working on making it as good as I can. I thank you for your patients. 


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